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Introduction

Overview of the mandate

Country visits
Press releases

Annual Reports to the Human Rights Council

Annual Reports to the General Assembly

Issues in Focus
International standards
Individual complaints
Documents
Contact
Feature stories

Better protection against discrimination for Roma and victims of caste systems

People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development

In remembrance of 30 million victims of slavery

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Bringing visibility to the plight of African descendants in the Americas

Defending the rights of African descendants in the Americas

Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Latest News

Hungary / Racism: “Time to transform international obligations into effective implementation at home” – UN expert
See also full statement
(31 May 2011)

Special Rapporteur at the 10th session of the Working Group of Experts on people of African descent
(29 March 2011)

"Recognition, Justice and Development: A Roadmap to Achieve Full Equality for People of African Descent"
Joint statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

(21 March 2011)

Special Rapporteur contributes to CERD Thematic Discussion on Racial Discrimination against People of African Descent
(Geneva, 7 March 2011)

Special Rapporteur at the seminar “the fight against discrimination based on racial, ethnic, religious or other bias”
(Ankara, 10 January 2011)

“Voices against discrimination and injustice must not be silenced”
Statement of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures on the occasion of Human Rights Day

(10 December, 2010)

Special Rapporteur at the 65th session of the General Assembly
(New York, 1 November 2010)

The Special Rapporteur participates in the thematic discussion on structural discrimination organized in the framework of the 8th session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
(Geneva, 18 October 2010)

Special Rapporteur at 15th session of the Human Rights Council
(28 September 2010)

“Without human rights, Millennium Goals will fail,” say UN Human Rights Experts,
(17 September 2010)

Special Rapporteur speaks at the Session on Xenophobia organized in the framework of the UNHCR Annual Consultations with NGOs
(30 June 2010)

Special Rapporteur at 14th session of the Human Rights Council
(16 June 2010)

UN experts alarmed by ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan and call for restraint and dialogue
(14 June 2010)

Special Rapporteur speaks at Lisbon Conference on 'Human rights and migration: Realising a human rights based approach to the protection of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers'
(1 June 2010)

Human rights and cultural diversity go hand in hand, say UN experts
(21 May 2010)

Arizona: UN experts warn against “a disturbing legal pattern hostile to ethnic minorities and immigrants”
(10 May 2010)

Special Rapporteur contributes to OHCHR seminar on
"Data Collection and the Use of Indicators to promote and monitor racial equality and non-discrimination"

(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-5 May 2010)

UN Special Rapporteur on racism/xenophobia concludes visit to Singapore
(28 April 2010)
[Full statement]

First mission to Singapore by UN expert on racism/xenophobia
(19 April 2010)

Racism is alive and still plagues every society, say UN experts
(21 March 2010)

Special Rapporteur contributes to an event commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
(19 March 2010)

UN Independent Experts articulate a vision for women's rights: post Beijing + 15
(5 March 2010)

UN experts urge Italian authorities to curb xenophobic attitude towards migrant workers"
(12 January 2010)

Special Rapporteur at the 64rd session of the General Assembly (New York, 2 November 2009)
Statement ¦ Report A/64/271 [E] [F] [S] [A] [C] [R] ¦ Report A/64/295 [E] [F] [S] [A] [C] [R]

Special Rapporteur at OHCHR-EU seminar on "Strenghtening EU-UN Cooperation in the struggle against all forms of discrimination"
(Brussels, 14 October 2009)

UN Special Rapporteur on racism/xenophobia concludes visit to the United Arab Emirates
(8 October 2009)

UN Expert on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on first visit to the United Arab Emirates
(2 October 2009)

Special Rapporteur at the 12th session of the Human Rights Council
(Geneva, 30 September 2009)

UN expert on racism ends mission to Germany
(1 July 2009)

UN Expert on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerence visits Germany
(22 June 2009)

Special Rapporteur at the 11th session of the Human Rights Council
(Geneva, 16 June 2009)

Special Rapporteur participates in the Durban Review Conference
Plenary Statement | Statement on “Discrimination and Poverty” | Statement on “Communities Empowered to Resist Discrimination and Exclusion

Joint statement of three Special Rapporteurs on incitement to racial or religious hatred

UN racism expert calls for full engagement in Durban process (20 March 2009)

Special Rapporteur participates in High-Level Panel to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Geneva, 19 March 2009)

Special Rapporteur speaks at Seminar on the Prevention of Genocide (Geneva, 21 January 2009)

Special Rapporteur participates in the Wilton Park Conference on Contemporary and Future Human Rights Challenges
(West Sussex, 23 January 2009)

UN experts call for European action to stop violence against Roma (20 November 2008)

Special Rapporteur speaks at the Council of Europe Conference on Human Rights in Culturally Diverse Societies (The Hague, 12 November 2008)

Special Rapporteur briefs the press in New York (4 November 2008)
UN News Centre coverage ¦ VideoVideo

Special Rapporteur at the 63rd session of the General Assembly (New York, 3 November 2008)
Statement ¦ Report [E] [F] [S] [A] [C] [R] ¦ UN Press release

Special Rapporteur addresses the 2nd substantive session of the Durban Review Conference
Joint contribution of Special Procedures
(Geneva, 6 October 2008)

Special Rapporteur at the 9th session of the Human Rights Council (Geneva, 19 September 2008)
Statement ¦ Report submitted by predecessor [F] ¦ UN Press release

Special Rapporteur speaks at the Africa Regional Meeting for the Durban Review Conference (Abuja, 25 August 2008)

Introduction

Historical Background

At its forty-ninth session, the Commission on Human Rights appointed, in resolution 1993/20, a Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and related intolerance. By its resolution 1994/64 of 9 February 1994, the Commission on Human Rights further defined the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. On 28 March 2008, the Human Rights extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further period of three years.

Mandate

The Special Rapporteur has been mandated by the Human Rights Council resolution 7/34 to focus on a number of issues, listed here.

Working methods

In the discharge of his mandate the Special Rapporteur:

a) Transmits urgent appeals and communications to States on alleged violations regarding contemporary forms of racism, discrimination based on race, xenophobia and related intolerance to the State concerned, in order to induce the national authority to undertake the necessary investigations of all the incidents or individual cases reported. (See Individual Complaints)

b) Undertakes fact-finding country visits.

c) Submits annual reports on the activities foreseen by the mandate to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly.

Special Rapporteurs:

-Mr. Githu Muigai (Kenya), since August 2008.
-Mr. Doudou Diène (Senegal), August 2002-July 2008
-Mr. Maurice Glèlè-Ahanhanzo ( Benin ), 1993 - July 2002

Contact the Special Rapporteur:

Mr. Githu Muigai
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: racism@ohchr.org

 
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