News

- Racism and UN
CERD 102nd session (online): Cuba, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and the Republic of Korea (November 2020)

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will hold its 102nd session online from 16th to 24th November 2020. Consideration of States parties’ reports is postponed to future sessions. During the 102nd session, the Committee will consider the follow-up reports of Cuba, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and the Republic of Korea. The Committee will adopt a list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) on Guyana, Tunisia and Monaco. The Committee will also consider information submitted under the Early Warning Urgent Action Procedures (EWUAP). Practical information Information Note for NGOs for the submission of information and the Programme of Work are available at the 102nd session page. Deadline for information from civil society for […]
September 24, 2020
- Racism and UN
Webinar on Racism in East Asia “The Impact of COVID-19 on Migrant Workers” (29 September 2020)

Organising Committee for East Asia regional consultation invites you to the 2nd webinar of the online series on Racism in East Asia – “The Impact of COVID-19 on Migrant Workers” on 29 September 2020 at 14h00 – 15h30 (ROK/JPN)/ 13h00 – 14h30 (HK). The Organising Committee comprises of: International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR); Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net); South Korean NGO Coalition for Monitoring the Domestic Implementation of the CERD; and Justice Centre Hong Kong. Panelists Japan – David McIntosh, Center for Minority Issues and Mission Republic of Korea – Youngsup Jung, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Hong […]
September 18, 2020
- Racism and UN
High Commissioner’s update on country situations and the UN financial crisis (HRC45, 2020, OS)

IMADR delivered the oral statement on “High Commissioner’s update on country situations and the UN financial crisis” at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here. . ——— Oral Statement: 45th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate – Oral update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 15 September 2020 Thank you Madam President, We thank the High Commissioner for highlighting situations of migrants and minorities in her oral update such as the recent destruction of the Lesbos migrant camp in Greece and the EU Member States’ responses to migration, the excessive use of force by […]
September 15, 2020
- Racism and UN
TB-Net Statements: Informal consultation on the state of the UN human rights treaty body system

The NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), which IMADR is a founding member of, issued joint statements at the informal consultation on the state of the UN human rights treaty body system held in Geneva on 28 August 2020. The statements focused on: Five overarching principles of the treaty body strengthening process; Civil Society Proposals; and Treaty body membership. Statement – Five overarching principles of the treaty body strengthening process Statement – Civil Society Proposals Statement – Treaty body membership
August 28, 2020
- Racism and UN
Joint civil society submissions – Co-facilitation process on treaty body review 2020

The co-facilitators of the 2020 UN Human Rights Treaty Body Review Process, the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Morocco, called for written contributions from States and stakeholders including civil society organisations and national human rights institutions. TB-Net, which IMADR is a member, sent a Joint Civil Society Submission with ISHR. The joint submission was signed by over 80 civil society organisations. TB-Net signed a Joint NGO Submission with 22 other organisations that regularly engage with the UN human rights treaty body system.
August 28, 2020
- Racism and UN
Joint Statement: 101st session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Joint Statement: 101st session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 5 August 2020 Thank you, Madam Chair, We thank the Committee for providing us with an opportunity to speak at this historic online session today. We hope that this practice will be strengthened to have broader civil society participation in future sessions, especially from the national level. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on people belonging to racialised communities such as people of African-descent, minorities, people discriminated on the basis of caste or descent, indigenous peoples, stateless persons, migrants including refugees and asylum-seekers. Decades, if not centuries, of structural racial discrimination has made them particularly […]
August 5, 2020
- Racism and UN
Webinar “Race matters: Examining the workings of race and gender in the UN human rights system” (13 August 2020)

International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) invite you to the webinar “Race matters: Examining the workings of race and gender in the UN human rights system” on 13th August at 16h00 – 17h30 (CEST). The webinar will examine the widespread and yet generally unremarked workings of dominant ideologies of race and gender in the UN human rights system. We are interested in examining how the UN can address its own complicity in systemic racism. The webinar will also address the ways in which race is obscured from discussions around gender, including when appropriating concepts that originated in the fight for racial and […]
August 5, 2020
- Racism and UN
Racial discrimination and digital technologies (HRC44, 2020, Joint-OS)

Joint oral statement with Minority Rights Group International on “Racial discrimination and digital technologies” was delivered at the 44th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here. ——— Joint Oral Statement: 44th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9 – ID with the Special Rapporteur on racism 15 July 2020 Madam Special Rapporteur, MRG and IMADR warmly welcome your comprehensive report on racial discrimination and digital technologies. We wholeheartedly agree with the Special Rapporteur that technology is neither neutral nor objective, but rather that digital technologies reflect, reproduce and reinforce racial inequalities. We are concerned that, under the COVID-19 pandemic, digital divides […]
July 16, 2020
- Racism and UN
CERD 101st session (online): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan, Latvia, Mauritania, Mauritius, China, Honduras, Norway, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (August 2020)

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will hold its 101st session online from 4th to 7th August 2020. Consideration of States parties’ reports is postponed to future sessions. During the 101st session, the Committee will consider the follow-up reports of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan, Latvia, Mauritania, Mauritius, China, Honduras, Norway, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Committee will also consider information submitted under the Early Warning Urgent Action Procedures (EWUAP). Practical information Information Note for NGOs for the submission of information and the Programme of Work are available at the 101st session page. Deadline for information for the Early Warning Urgent Action Procedures (EWUAP): 14 July 2020 […]
July 3, 2020
- Racism and UN
Racism in law enforcement and related human rights violations in the United States (HRC43, 2020, OS)

IMADR delivered the oral statement on “Racism in law enforcement and related human rights violations in the United States” at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here. . ——— Oral Statement: 43rd session of the Human Rights Council Urgent Debate on the “current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and the violence against peaceful protest” 18 June 2020 Madam President, At the outset, we express our solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We welcome the Human Rights Council’s decision to hold this urgent debate which has been much needed since its establishment. We reiterate our joint […]
June 18, 2020
- Racism and UN
COVID-19 pandemic, racism and discrimination (HRC43, 2020, OS)

IMADR delivered the oral statement on “COVID-19 pandemic, racism and discrimination” at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here. . ——— Oral Statement: 43rd session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: General Debate 16 June 2020 Madam President, We are deeply concerned by the global rise of the manifestations of racism and discrimination during the current pandemic. Racist hate speech, hate crimes and other forms of discrimination that first targeted Asians and people of Asian descent are now also directed to other groups such as indigenous peoples, people of African descent, Dalits, Roma, Travellers and other minorities, migrants including […]
June 16, 2020
- Racism and UN
TB-Net Statement: Informal Meeting of Chairs of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies (2020)

TB-Net Statement Informal Meeting of Chairs of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies 2-5 June, 2020 Introduction This is a joint statement on behalf of seven organizations, which form TB-Net (NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies)[1]. Created in February 2017, TB-Net is an informal group of international NGOs and networks who work closely with 7 of the UN treaty bodies (CERD, CCPR, CESCR, CEDAW, CAT, CRC, CRPD) and have specialised expertise on their procedures and substantive work. Our mission is to support and enhance the effectiveness of the treaty bodies so that they can better contribute to the realisation of the human rights of all persons. The COVID-19 pandemic is spotlighting […]
June 2, 2020
- Racism and UN
Joint NGO letter – UN treaty bodies must continue to monitor States’ compliance with their human rights obligations during the COVID-19 crisis

Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies Ms. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 11 May 2020 RE: UN human rights treaty bodies during the COVID-19 pandemic Dear Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies and High Commissioner Bachelet, We, the undersigned non-governmental organisations, write to you concerning the functioning of the treaty body system during the COVID-19 pandemic. We express our appreciation for the Chairpersons’ joint statement on the COVID-19 pandemic issued on 24 March as well as the individual guidance issued by various Committees.[1] We echo that States’ responses to the crisis, including declarations of a state of emergency, must comply with international human […]
May 11, 2020
- Racism and UN
COVID-19: Report incident of racism and discrimination

In response to the increasing number of reports on incidents of racism and discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic, IMADR developed a database of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), equality bodies, NGOs and other bodies that can receive complaints on incidents of racism and discrimination. The list is also available in the PDF version (updated on 21 April 2020) If there is no complaint body in your country, you can still submit information to the UN Special Procedures Communications.
April 21, 2020
- Racism and UN
United Nations’ COVID-19 response (HRC virtual informal conversation, 2020, Joint WS)

IMADR joined over 85 NGOs for the statement on “United Nations’ COVID-19 response” at the Human Rights Council’s virtual informal conversation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implications of the COVID-19 crisis on human rights . Whole text can be read below or download here. ——— Human Rights Council virtual informal conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Joint NGO statement on the United Nations’ COVID-19 response Thursday, 09 April 2020 The COVID-19 crisis is powerfully demonstrating the ways in which the human rights of all people are interdependent and interrelated and that ensuring a safe and enabling environment for civil society to promote, protect […]
April 20, 2020
- Racism and UN
Civil and political rights and COVID-19 (HRC virtual informal conversation, 2020, Joint WS)

IMADR joined over 70 NGOs for the statement on “Civil and political rights” at the Human Rights Council’s virtual informal conversation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implications of the COVID-19 crisis on human rights . Whole text can be read below or download here. ——— Human Rights Council virtual informal conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Joint NGO statement on civil and political rights Thursday, 09 April 2020 Civil society’s call to states: we are in this together, don’t violate human rights while responding to COVID-19. As States are undertaking extraordinary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, we recognize the good faith […]
April 20, 2020