News and Events
Caste included in the adopted report on the UK UPR review
30th May 2012
The report on the UN human rights review of the UK was adopted today. A significant recommendation on caste discrimination has been included in the final report. This will provide the basis for monitoring and reporting on the UK’s efforts to amend its legislation to include caste and promote a national strategy to eliminate caste discrimination in the next four years. (News from IDSN) The UPR report from the review of the UK on 24 May has now been adopted, and includes one strong recommendation on caste-discrimination made by Nicaragua, who expressed concern at reports of caste based discrimination in the [..]
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UK caste battle taken to the UN
25th May 2012
(Press Release, Geneva, 25 May 2012) As the UK’s first ever caste discrimination case is pending in court, the UK is given a strong recommendation to immediately adopt legislation outlawing caste discrimination, at the UN human rights review of the UK. Caste discrimination occurring in the South Asian diaspora in the UK, affecting the rights of more than 250,000 lower caste citizens also known as Dalits, has been a well kept secret on the international arena. But at the UN Universal Periodic Review of the human rights situation in the UK on 24 May, several states voiced concerns about the [..]
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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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