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On the 11th of May, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 95th session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Nepal, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Sweden. *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 . The Committee adopted a decision on the Philippines and a statement on Israel under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure.  The Committee sent a reprisal letter to Russia  concerning the Shor indigenous rights defenders.  _ Kyrgyzstan While acknowledging the State party’s efforts undertaken […]

Prior to the International Symposium on UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination in Tokyo on 12 April 2018, IMADR and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) held the International Consultation for the Elimination of Descent- Based Discrimination in Osaka on 9 April. The Consultation was attended by 10 representatives from Dalit civil society in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, leaders of Buraku Liberation League (BLL), the former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, and a representative from the OHCHR. As an outcome document of the consultation, Dalit and Buraku civil society organisations adopted the “Declaration for the Elimination of Descent-Based Discrimination”. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  […]

On the 4th of April, 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 International Symposium: UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination In collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), IMADR will host the international symposium on “UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination: Key Challenges and Strategic Approaches” on 12th April in Tokyo, Japan. The symposium will bring stakeholders together such as Buraku and Dalit representatives, United Nations, independent expert, academics, parliamentarians, and civil society. More >> NGOs call on governments to enhance follow-up and membership of […]

On the 14th March 2018,  the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and VIS – Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo co-organized the side event on “Circular Migration and Youth” at the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Ms. Barbara Terenzi (Coordinator, VIS Human Rights & Advocacy Office) moderated the event and Ms. Michela Vallarino (Vice-President, VIS) delivered the opening remarks. Speakers included Mr. Agostino Sella (President, Don Bosco 2000), Mr. Fousseynou Diallo (Coordinator, Don Bosco 2000 Center), and Mr. Francois Coly (Director, Salesian House). The event was also joined by representatives from various Salesian programs: Leslie Tavares, from the Dominican Republic, Meaza Tesfagiorgis, from […]

IMADR statement on “Transitional justice, impunity and minority rights in Sri Lanka” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  Due to time constraints, the extract of the statement was delivered. ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate on the country reports of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General 21 March 2018 Speaker: Ameer Faaiz Thank you Mr President, Madame Deputy High Commissioner, We thank the High Commissioner for his continued commitment to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. As recent events remind us, without the full attention of the UN Human […]

IMADR statement on “UPR of Sri Lanka” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADROral Statement: 37thsession of the Human Rights Council Item 6: UPR outcome of Sri Lanka 19 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We welcome the recent appointment of the Commissioners for the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), the first and long-awaited mechanism for transitional justice in Sri Lanka. We call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to take necessary measures to ensure that the OMP can operate independently and effectively. We are gravely concerned that the series of violent attacks against Muslims community that […]

IMADR statement on “UPR of Japan” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download in English  and Japanese .  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 6: UPR outcome of Japan 19 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, IMADR delivers this statement in solidarity with the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net). To call for support of the UPR recommendations concerning the racial discrimination issues, we handed in the appeal to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono in this January.[1] We regret that the Government of Japan failed to support the recommendations […]

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders and racial discrimination” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Debate on promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating racial discrimination 19 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, IMADR firmly believes that the full engagement of civil society is an essential step of combating racial discrimination, as well as the precondition of promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity. To this end, we have been facilitating the work of civil society actors in their collaboration […]

In collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), IMADR will host the international symposium on “UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination: Key Challenges and Strategic Approaches” on 12th April in Tokyo, Japan. For further information, click on the flyer below.

IMADR statement on “Minorities in Asia Pacific, Dalits and Burakumin” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on minority issues 14 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We welcome the first report of Mr. Fernand de Varennes as the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. We appreciate the clear indication of his commitments and priorities during his tenure. While his plan to strengthen consultations with regional mechanisms is encouraging, we would like to draw his attention to the significant gap in […]

On behalf of the NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), IMADR delivered the joint statement on “UN treaty body strengthening through follow-up procedures and membership” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— Joint Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: Interactive Dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 8 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke Komatsu (IMADR) Thank you Mr. President, This is a joint statement delivered on behalf of seven organizations[1] which form the NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net) with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of treaty bodies to ensure accountability under […]

Together with VIS – Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo and other organisations, IMADR is holding a side event on “Circular Migration and Youth” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council from 14:00, Wednesday 14th March at Room XXVII in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.

IMADR co-sponsoring a side event on “Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka: Will it deliver for the victims of enforced disappearances?” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council from 4:00 pm, Monday 5th March at Room XXIV in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.

We Protest against Shooting at the Headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan and Call on the Government of Japan to Take Firm Responses 28 February 2018 Japan Network towards Human Right Legislation for Non-Japanese Nationals and Ethnic Minorities Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ) NGO  Network  for  the  Elimination  of  Racial  Discrimination  Japan  (ERD Net) NORIKOE Net Human Rights Now   According to media reporting, two men rode in a van up to the gate of the headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and fired several shots by the handgun at the building around 4:00 a.m. on […]

On the 13th of February, IMADR conducted a training for Nepalese Dalit rights organisations on the civil society participation in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The training was hosted by the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) . After 14 years from the previous review, the periodic reports submitted by the Government of Nepal will be considered by the CERD on 30th April and 1 May at the 95th session  in Geneva, Switzerland. The training was conducted in the view to maximise Dalit rights organisations’ capacity to engage with the review process. The CERD is expected issue concluding observations on Nepal on 11th May. The training was attended by over 20 participants from […]

Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net) handed in the appeal to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono calling for support and implementation of the UPR recommendations concerning the racial discrimination issues. ERD Net is a nationwide network of NGOs and individuals working for the issues relating to racism, racial discrimination and colonialism in Japan which IMADR works as the Secretariat. Read the appeal below or download here in English or Japanese  ——— Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net) c/o International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) 6 Floor, 1-7-1, Irifune, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0042, Japan   24 January 2018 H.E. Taro Kono, Minister […]