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At its 94th session from 20th November to 8th December 2017, 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 Algeria, Australia, Belarus, Jordan, Serbia and Slovakia.  The Committee will convene the thematic discussion on “Racial Discrimination Today” from 3 pm on 29th November. 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 submission of NGO reports: 30th October 2017 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime briefings  […]

On the 12th of October, IMADR presented the situation of racial discrimination in Japan at the 28th UPR pre-session organised by UPR Info. It raised a number of human rights concerns namely on: the lack of human rights infrastructure against racial discrimination; racist hate speech; discrimination against minority communities including Buraku and ethnic Koreans; multiple forms of discrimination; and human rights violations in the foreign “Technical Intern Training Program”. While recognising several positive steps taken by the Government of Japan, it called on States to make recommendations specific to racial discrimination at the UPR 28th session in November this year. In the concluding remarks, IMADR stressed that Japan, a Member State of […]

In August 2016, Sri Lanka was reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The Committee identified its recommendations in the following three areas as follow-up recommendations: national human rights institution;  situation of internally displaced persons; and situation of minority women in war affected areas. The Government of Sri Lanka was requested to provide, before September 2017, information on its implementation of those recommendations. In the absence of a follow-up report from the Government, IMADR submitted an alternative report from the civil society perspective to the Committee. The report assesses the Government’s implementation of the follow-up recommendations in order to help the Committee comprehend the current situation and challenges […]

IMADR statement on “Racial discrimination and civil society participation” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th 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 26 September 2017 Speaker: Madeleine Cowper Thank you Mr. President, We are deeply concerned by the global increase in manifestations of racial discrimination and xenophobia. As we have repeatedly pointed out at this Council, racist hate crimes, incitements to hatred and violence are often caused by the failure to take […]

IMADR statement on “Data collection to counter intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Panel Discussion on the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in the context of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls 25 September 2017 Speaker: Madeleine Cowper Thank you Mr. President, Although the Human Rights Council acknowledged that “many women and girls… are disproportionally affected by aggravated forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia […]

Together with Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch and Minority Rights Group International, IMADR is holding a side event on “Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council from 12:00 pm, Tuesday 26th September at Room XXVII in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders in Bangladesh and Okinawa, Japan” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Item 4: General Debate 19 September 2017 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We would like to draw the Council’s attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Bangladesh. Odhikar, our member organisation in Bangladesh and human rights defenders working with these groups have been subject to intimidation and harassment by the Government due to their reporting and campaigning against extrajudicial killings, election fraud and other systematic human rights violations taking place […]

IMADR statement on “Hate crimes in USA, Rohingyas in Myanmar and Sri Lanka’s transitional justice” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate – Oral update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 12 September 2017 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We express our grave concern regarding the increase of racist manifestations around the world, which is undoubtedly encouraged by the new leadership in the USA. The U.S. President’s failure to condemn the racist violence in Charlottesville in August is interpreted by many as justification […]

IMADR submitted a written statement on “Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has endured consecutive periods of violent insurgency and a 26-year-long armed conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam.[1] This conflict ended in 2009 and was characterised by the killing of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detention of Tamils, widespread torture, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances.[2][3] It has had “devastating consequences at a human, social and institutional level”.[4] According to the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) Report, many of the […]

On the 25th of August, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 93rd session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Canada, Djibouti, Ecuador, Kuwait, New Zealand, Russia, Tajikistan and the United Arab Emirates. *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 State parties at UN Web TV . The Committee adopted a decision on the USA and Nigeria under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. The list of issues for Bahrain  was adopted during the 93rd session.   Canada The Committee […]

For the adoption of list of issues prior to reporting by the UN Human Rights Committee , IMADR submitted a report on racial discrimination issues in Japan. The report is prepared with two focused areas below. General Information Human Rights Challenges faced by Minority Women including Buraku Women Discriminatory Online Postings against Buraku Download the full report here 

On 22 June 2017, States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) elected 9 candidates to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) for renewal of half of the membership: www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CERD/Pages/Elections27.aspx Here is a quick glance at the election and joint civil society initiative. Election questionnaire The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) circulated a questionnaire to the candidates in order to promote a merit-based and transparent CERD election process. Responses received were posted on a dedicated website: […]

On 27 June, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you ca do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story “Open space for protest must be created in Okinawa”, collective voice to Japan In April 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression conducted his mission to Japan. On the occasion of his country report’s presentation, a joint side event on “Freedom of Expression in Okinawa, Japan” was held at the UN Human Rights Council. The event welcomed three civil society representatives from Okinawa including Mr. Hiroji Yamashiro, and the UN Special Rapporteur. The event revealed challenges for freedom of […]

Joint Communiqué – States renewed half of the members of the CERD Geneva, Switzerland. 27 June 2017 On June 22nd, States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) voted to renew half of the membership of the Committee. They elected 5 new experts, including for the first time a Roma person, and re-elected 4 members who were already seating in the Committee, among 15 candidates from all regions. New members include Ms. Chinsung Chung (Republic of Korea), Ms. Keiko Ko (Japan), Ms. Rita Izsak-Ndiaye (Hungary), Mr. Bakari Sidiki Diaby (Côte d’Ivoire) and Mr. Silvio José Albuquerque E. Silva (Brazil). They will join 4 experts whose terms as […]

On Friday 16th June at the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), jointly with Amnesty International and Franciscans International, held a side event titled “Freedom of Expression in Okinawa, Japan”. The All Okinawa Council for Human Rights also supported the event. Video of the event is available in Japanese. The event was moderated by Ms. Jane Connors, Director of International Advocacy of Amnesty International. Following three civil society representatives from Okinawa, Mr. Nozomi Kanetaka, Mr. Hiroji Yamashiro, Mr. Takashi Abe, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. David […]

IMADR delivered its oral statement on “Challenges of human rights defenders working against racial discrimination in the context of counter-terrorism” at the 35th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 35th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance 19 June 2017 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President,  We appreciate the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report on “challenges to combating racism and xenophobia in the context of countering terrorism”, in addition to the previous thematic reports. Given the growing manifestation of racism around the […]