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E-CONNECT

E-CONNECT No.35

We have issued E-CONNECT No.35 on 31 March, 2021.

Feature story

UN decides to gather and preserve evidence of human rights violations in Sri Lanka for future accountability

Last week, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Sri Lanka to strengthen the capacity of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to collect, consolidate, analyze and preserve evidence for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law. In her report on Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet also recommended UN Members States to prosecute international crimes committed in domestic jurisdictions and impose targeted sanctions against perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses, in the set of her recommendations. Prior to the adoption of the resolution, IMADR urged the Human Rights Council to give monitoring and evidence-gathering mandates to the OHCHR. More >>

NGOs condemn the widespread police violence against black Brazilians

IMADR joined the Marielle Franco Institute and other international human rights NGOs to remind the UN Human Rights Council that there has been no accountability for the murder of Marielle Franco, a prominent human rights defender, who was killed by a retired police officer in Rio de Janeiro in March 2018. In 2020, about 1,230 people were killed by the police, and most of them were young black men. We called on the Brazilian government to give truth to the families of victims, meaningfully cooperate with the UN human rights system, and create mechanisms to combat political violence. More >>

Statement: “Problem of Ramseyer’s Article on Buraku: from the Perspective of Human Rights and Non-Discrimination”

Alarmed by the article “On the Invention of Identity Politics: The Buraku Outcastes in Japan” written by Professor Mark Ramseyer of Harvard University, IMADR issued a statement to clearly state our views on the article from the human rights and non-discrimination perspective. The statement has been supported by the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and Minority Rights Group International (MRG), with whom we have worked together for minority rights. You can endorse the statement via our website. More >>

IMADR in the world

Regional Webinar: “Refugee Protection in East Asia: Changes and Challenges” (2 April 2021)
You are invited to the regional webinar on Friday, 2 April. At the webinar, experts will discuss with the panel of refugee speakers about problematic legal amendments proposed in Japan, Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea concerning the rights of refugees. More >>

IMADR and its concerns

UN expert’s reports on hate speech against minorities in social media
The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Dr Fernand de Varennes, presented the report of the 2020 Forum on Minority Issues and his thematic report to the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, both of which focused on hate speech, social media and minorities. During the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, IMADR encouraged him to involve civil society, in particular minorities, in the preparation of guidelines on the issue. More >>

IMADR at the UN

CERD reviews Belgium next month
The Committee will pilot an online State review of Belgium at the upcoming 103rd session in April 2021. They will also adopt lists of issues prior to reporting (LOIPRs) on Gabon, Lesotho, Maldives and Tunisia, and assess the follow-up reports of Iceland, Jordan, Mexico, Poland and the State of Palestine. More >>

Publication

Summary Report – Racism in East Asia (2020)
The report is an outcome document of the last year’s regional webinars which examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialised communities, especially on migrants, in Hong Kong, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and the effectiveness of domestic law in the protection from racial discrimination. More >>

E-CONNECT No.34

We have issued E-CONNECT No.34 on 19 December, 2020.

Feature story

New UN expert guidelines on preventing and combating racial profiling

The General Recommendation No.36 on “Preventing and Combating Racial Profiling by Law Enforcement Officials” was recently adopted by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). It clarifies the human rights obligations under the Convention as well as a definition of racial profiling. The Committee paid a particular attention to racial bias and discrimination in algorithmic profiling, highlighting one of the major challenges posed by emerging technologies in the protection and promotion of human rights of racialised people. More >>

CERD continues to monitor the state of racial discrimination globally

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the CERD concluded its 102nd session on 24 November which was held online. At the session, the Committee issued follow-up letters to Cuba, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and the Republic of Korea, the lists of issues prior to reporting on Guyana and Monaco, and letters to Canada, Panama, the Russian Federation, Thailand and the United States of America under the Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. The Committee adopted a view on ‘Lars-Anders Ågren et al v. Sweden’. It found that Sweden violated the indigenous Sami people’s land rights and the right to an effective protection and remedy, in the context of the mining concessions on their traditional territory. IMADR published a summary of the session. More >>

Report “Racism in East Asia” exposes raclialisation of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Organising Committee for East Asia regional consultation published the report on “Racism in East Asia”. It is an outcome document of the online series which examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialised communities, especially on migrants, in Hong Kong, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and the effectiveness of domestic law in the protection from racial discrimination. The Organising Committee is formed by civil society organisations from each country/territory for which IMADR functions as the secretariat. More >>

IMADR in the world

Joint statement on International Migrants Day: Stop the pandemic of racism in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
On the International Migrants Day, human rights NGOs in Hong Kong, Japan and the Republic of Korea expressed unequivocal commitment to human rights of all migrants in East Asia and to progress toward a world free from racism and racial discrimination. More >>

IMADR and its concerns

Hate speech against minorities in social media and intersecting discrimination
At the 13th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues, IMADR urged the Special Rapporteur to reflect minorities’ intersecting identities such as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability in his recommendations to States and other stakeholders to tackle online hate speech effectively. More >>

IMADR at the UN

CERD holds 103rd session in April 2021
The Committee’s 103rd session will be held in April 2021. Considering the pandemic situation, the Committee decided to review two States parties in an online format, if in-person meetings remain not possible. More >>

Publication

Submission: Joint NGO report on racial discrimination in Japan
For the consideration of the 7th periodic report of Japan by the UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR), the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net) submitted a joint NGO report on the situation of indigenous peoples, minorities and migrants in the country. More >>