News

- 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
- Minorities & Indigenous
Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in Sri Lanka (HRC44, 2020, Joint-OS)

IMADR delivered the joint oral statement on “Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in Sri Lanka” at the 44th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here. Co-sponsors of the statement are: Amnesty International; Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA); Franciscans International; Human Rights Watch; International Service for Human Rights (ISHR); and Minority Rights Group International. ——— Joint Oral Statement[1]: 44th session of the Human Rights Council Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 10 July 2020 Thank you, Madam President. As the Special Rapporteur’s report demonstrates,[2] the […]
July 10, 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
Newsletter E-CONNECT No.32 is out

On the 24th of June, 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 UN Human Rights Council addressed systemic racism and police brutality against people of African descent The Human Rights Council held the urgent debate in response to the police killing of George Floyd in the United States and protests around the world. Prior to the debate, a joint statement by 47 UN experts and a statement by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) were issued concerning the situation of the United States. Following the […]
June 25, 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
- Minorities & Indigenous
Submission – COVID-19 and the rise of nationalist and religious extremism in Sri Lanka

In response to the call for submissions for her next General Assembly report on combatting glorification of Nazism: Rise of anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in times of COVID-19, IMADR submitted the information to the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume. The submission focuses on the rise of nationalist and religious extremism in Sri Lanka in times of COVID-19 and discrimination against ethno-religious minorities, in particular Muslims. Download our submission here
June 12, 2020
- Minorities & Indigenous
USA: IMADR condemns the police killing of George Floyd and racial discrimination in the United States

IMADR condemns the police killing of George Floyd and racial discrimination in the United States June 5, 2020 On the morning of May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black man, was killed by a police officer on a street of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Floyd was held by a police officer by the neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as he was knocked to the ground and suffocated to death. During the incident, he continued to ask for help for three minutes, saying he could not breathe. IMADR strongly condemns the police killing of Mr. Floyd. There have been repeated incidents of violence […]
June 5, 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
- Minorities & Indigenous
Japan: NGO Joint Statement Calling for the Provision of the “Cash Handouts to Support Students” to All the Students in Need

May 25, 2020 NGO Joint Statement Calling for the Provision of the “Cash Handouts to Support Students” to All the Students in Need On May 19, the Ministry of Education of Japan announced the establishment of the scheme of the Emergency Cash Handouts to Support Students for Their “Continuous Learning”, which aims to grant cash benefits to higher education students who face financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so that they do not need to give up their education. We welcome the launching of the support for the “continuous learning” of students in need. First of all, however, the number of eligible students under the scheme is […]
May 25, 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
- Racism and UN
Economic, social and cultural rights and COVID-19 (HRC virtual informal conversation, 2020, Joint WS)

IMADR joined over 65 NGOs for the statement on “Economic, social and cultural 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 economic, social and cultural rights Thursday, 09 April 2020 Madame President, We thank the High Commissioner for her update, and her Office’s ongoing work to ensure human rights are central to the response to COVID-19. We urge states to cooperate in […]
April 20, 2020
- Racism and UN
TB-Net Statement: COVID-19 pandemic and UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies

The NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), which IMADR is a founding member of, issued a joint statement concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and the UN human rights treaty bodies. The statement calls on the treaty body system to ensure that any measures taken against concerns posed by the pandemic guarantee the meaningful and flexible engagement with civil society. It particularly requests for the development of communications technologies like video-conference for the participation of civil society across all the treaty bodies. Download the statement here
April 9, 2020