News and Events
UPR-Reviews of the UK and India: Time to act on caste discrimination
18th May 2012
When India and the UK come up for review by the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on 24 May, IDSN and DSN-UK urges all UN member states to seize this important opportunity to address concerns about caste discrimination based on recommendations by civil society and UN human rights bodies. Ahead of the reviews, IDSN has launched an Appeal to UN Member States, Special Procedures, and UN Agencies to Take Action to Eliminate Caste Discrimination Now and has issued a joint press release with Human Rights Watch, specifically on the UPR of India. “United Nations member states should call for effective [..]
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UN Committee: Caste discrimination in the UK should be outlawed
12th September 2011
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommends that the UK Government prohibit caste discrimination and provide remedies to victims of this form of discrimination. Following the review of the UK Government by the CERD Committee at its 79th session in August, the Committee has published its Concluding Observations (C/CERD/GBR/CO/18-20) where it recommends the UK Government to amend national legislation to prohibit caste discrimination. During the review, which was held on 23-24 August, where Committee members asked the delegation about the existence of caste discrimination in the country. The delegation replied that there was "no consensus" on the [..]
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UN review: UK Government fails to acknowledge the need for outlawing caste discrimination
25th August 2011
During a review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on 23 and 24 August, the UK delegation said that there was "no consensus" on the need for prohibiting caste discrimination in the UK. Furthermore, the Government had “not made a decision” on the findings of a government-commissioned report, which concludes that caste discrimination exists in the UK. "Why are you so afraid", a CERD Committee member asked during the dialogue. The UK Government’s failure to acknowledge the need for outlawing caste discrimination was a big disappointment to the Dalit community groups, which have fought for [..]
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Gordon Brown shocked at living conditions of Dalits
18th August 2011
"I have seen many slums from my time visiting Africa and Asia, but the numbers of people packed into a very small area without proper sanitation [here] is very shocking," Brown said. (more…)
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Evidence of Caste Discrimination in the UK revealed
18th August 2011
A Government-commissioned study on caste discrimination in the UK finds evidence of caste discrimination in work, provision of services, education, and harassment and violence as a result of caste discrimination. The study was commissioned and published by the UK Government Equalities Office and conducted by Hilary Metcalf and Heather Rolfe at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Caste discrimination was found to have extensive personal consequences including reduced career prospects, lower earnings, detrimental effects on education, social isolation, reduced access to social provisions, depression, anger, and loss of self-esteem. The discrimination identified in the study was amongst people [..]
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