News and Events
The UK’s Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations fails to address caste-based discrimination
4th October 2017
GENEVA: 21 September 2017 - the Human Rights Council adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Kingdom. The review took place on 4 May 2017, when the UK received 227 recommendations. Member states raised concerns about the proposed Bill of Rights, remaining with the European Court post Brexit, indefinite detention of asylum seekers, human trafficking, gender equality, migrants’ rights, ethnic minorities, travellers and Roma community, abortion policies in Northern Ireland and a rise of hate crime post the Brexit vote in June last year. In reply to the received recommendations the UK government stated that [..]
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CALL TO ACTION: complete the caste consultation (deadline extended)
1st August 2017
The Caste in Great Britain and Equality Law consultation deadline has been extended until 18 September 2017. This was as a result of a specific request from DSN-UK and the consortium of organisations and leading academics that have come together to produce guidelines and FAQs – all to be found on our dedicated website www.casteintheuk.org. If you are yet to complete the consultation questionnaire please go to the above website and also for direct access to the consultation click here https://consult.education.gov.uk/government-equalities-office/caste-in-great-britain-and-equality-law-1/. This is a crucial time as we need to send the new Government a powerful message that caste discrimination in the [..]
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CALL TO ACTION – Complete UK Caste Consultation Questionnaire
9th June 2017
Help us outlaw caste-based discrimination in the UK - complete the public Consultation on Caste in Great Britain and Equality Law before 18 July 2017! Several organisations and renowned academics have come together and created a website www.casteintheuk.org providing guidance on the questionnaire and the caste Consultation document, both of which contain complex legal terms and words. We do not want this to be a barrier to anyone wanting to respond to the survey. Caste-based discrimination does exist here in the UK, acknowledged by both Parliament and the Government. It should be outlawed as any other form of discrimination. The government [..]
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3rd Universal Periodic Review of the UK
16th May 2017
On 4 May 2017 the United Kingdom was reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Every 5 years the United Nations (UN) member states’ human rights records are reviewed during the UPR, a state-driven process, where other states make recommendations to a state under review. The Minister of Justice of the UK and Ireland, Oliver Heald, presented the state report emphasising that the UK voted for Brexit and is planning to leave the EU but will not to turn away from any other of its partners. He reiterated that there are no plans to withdraw from the European Court, the [..]
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DSN-UK at the ‘Global Parliamentarians’ Conference on discrimination based on work and descent including caste’
13th March 2017
[caption id="attachment_4359" align="alignleft" width="300"] Launch of a research report with the panel including Katia Chirizzi, Meena Varma, Henri Tiphagne and Jerald Joseph.[/caption] On 25 and 26 February 2017, a ‘Global Parliamentarians’ Conference on discrimination based on work and descent including caste’ took place in Nepal, Kathmandu, organised by Asian Parliamentarian’s Forum on Dalit Concerns and Asia Dalit Rights Forum. The conference was attended by over 80 participants, including politicians, Dalit activists and diplomats. A highly ambitious programme covered two major themes – the situation today and strategies for tomorrow; and the specific status of Dalit women. Two research reports were [..]
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