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On the 17th of July, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you can do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story 2019 CERD election set a milestone for gender parity On 21st June, around 180 governments, which have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), voted to renew half of the membership of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). With the election/re-election of 6 women, half of the Committee’s seats will be held by women from next year. It was the first time in the history of CERD […]

On the 27th of March, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you can do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story Civil society calls on United Nations to continue monitoring Sri Lanka At the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presented its report on the Government of Sri Lanka’s implementation of resolution on “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka” (A/HRC/30/1).  Prior to the presentation, IMADR and eight other organisations sent a letter to the international community to call for strengthening measures for the full implementation of resolution […]

February 25, 2019 Your Excellency, Sri Lanka: Need for time-bound plan for implementation of commitments to the Human Rights Council We write to seek your support in ensuring that the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC or Council) adopts a resolution at this 40th session to maintain scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s progress towards implementation of its commitments, including, at minimum, regular reporting to the Council and a time-bound plan, developed in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to implement its pledges. In October 2015, the Council adopted resolution 30/1 by consensus in which Sri Lanka, through its co-sponsorship, committed to 25 key undertakings across a […]

Together with Amnesty International, FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Service for Human Rights, IMADR is holding a side event on “Reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka” at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council from 13:30, Thursday 28th February at Room XXVII in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.

In response to the call for submissions by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression  for his upcoming follow-up report on Japan, IMADR and All Okinawa Council for Human Rights (AOCHR) submitted a joint NGO report. The report seeks to supplement the information on the Government of Japan’s implementation of the recommendations contained in the country visit report of the Special Rapporteur, namely on: the adoption of a broad anti-discrimination law; the enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly; and the case of Mr. Hiroji Yamashiro. Download the full report here   

As a member organisation of TB-Net – NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies, IMADR joined the call to UN Member States for an inclusive review process on treaty body strengthening. National, regional and international NGOs play a critical role in the work of the treaty bodies through monitoring the implementation of the treaties at the national level, providing information to the treaty bodies, and encouraging states to give effect to the treaty bodies’recommendations. Together with rights holders, NGOs are well placed to bring in-depth knowledge, expertise and proposals on strengthening the system. Click the image below to read the full text.

At its 98th session from 23rd April to 10th May 2019, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 5 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Andorra, Guatemala, Hungary, Lithuania, and Zambia.  If you are a CSO participating in the forthcoming session and wishes to receive practical information, contact us at: geneva[@]imadr.org (remove “[]” when you send e-mail) Practical Information Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the review:  29 March 2019 Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the List of Themes: 8 February 2019 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime briefings  For States parties’ reports, list of […]

To mark the 30th anniversary, IMADR published the booklet “Thirty Years of Fighting Racism – The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism Celebrates its 30th Anniversary”. You can read the booklet from the image below.

On 15th November, TB-Net and Amnesty International held the “TB-Net Event on Treaty Body Elections” co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, as well as the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). The event was a roundtable working meeting under the Chatham house rule to discuss amongst States and other key stakeholders including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and NGOs, the current nominations and elections processes for Treaty Body membership, and proposals for improvements which aim to enhance the quality, independence and diversity of Treaty Body membership. Summary Report […]

On the 14th of December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 97th session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Albania, Honduras, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and the Republic of Korea. *Recommendations with asterisks [*] are one-year follow-up recommendations. Concluding observations, reports of the State parties and other stakeholders are available at the OHCHR website . You can also watch the video archives of the public meetings with the States parties at UN Web TV . During the 97th session, the Committee held the informal meeting with States parties . The Committee issued letters to the Governments of Australia, Canada, France, Guyana, India and Papua New Guinea under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. _ Albania The […]

Odhikar, member of IMADR, released its Human Rights Monitoring Report (November 1-31, 2018) . IMADR remains concerned by the continuing human rights violations in Bangladesh reported by Odhikar. Read and download the report by clicking the image below.

During the 2nd session of the UN Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, IMADR is co- hosting a side event on the “Role of the Parliament of Sri Lanka in Protecting Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”. The event will take place at 1 pm, Thursday 22nd November at Room XXIV in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.  

For the 33rd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), IMADR joined a civil society submission on Nicaragua’s lack of compliance with its reporting obligations to UN treaty bodies, prepared by a TB-Net partner CCPR-Centre . Report can be downloaded by clicking the image below.

At its 97th session from 26th November to 14th December 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 6 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Albania, Honduras, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and the Republic of Korea.  If you are a CSO participating in the forthcoming session and wishes to receive practical information, contact us at: geneva[@]imadr.org (remove “[]” when you send e-mail) Practical Information Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the review:  5 November 2018 Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the List of Themes: 21 September 2018 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime […]

On the 9th of October, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you can do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story Deep-rooted racial discrimination in Sri Lankan criminal justice system At the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention presented its country visit report on Sri Lanka. IMADR welcomed the Working Group’s thorough assessment on the enjoyment of the right to liberty and security in Sri Lanka and recommendations to the Government. On this occasion, IMADR submitted a written statement with a focus on racial discrimination in the Sri Lankan criminal justice system including […]

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders cooperating with UN for non-racial discrimination” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: General Debate –  Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow‑up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 25 September 2018 Speaker: Antoine GIBERT Thank you Mr. President, We express our deepest concerns over the worldwide resurgence of racial discrimination. We firmly condemn the increase in racist hate speech by politicians and government officials. This is symptomatic of the larger issue of the normalization of […]