The foundation of all good practices is the adherence to democratic principles and human rights norms. The caste system is perpetuated by unequal access to power and structures of exclusion, and will not be fully eliminated until equal access to power is achieved. Fundamental to this is the full and effective participation of persons affected by caste-based discrimination in mechanisms of governance at all levels.

There is, therefore, a need to respond to the calls by UN Member States, UN experts, and institutions to identify good practices for the elimination of caste-based discrimination.

With the purpose of documenting and sharing experiences for the successful implementation of these good practices, IDSN is gathering examples of good practices to eliminate caste-based discrimination by civil society, UN agencies, and international organisations, among others, in an online database:

See examples of good practices in IDSN’s database

International Consultation on Good Practices and Strategies to Eliminate Caste-Based Discrimination

With the aim to enhance international, national, and local engagement to eliminate caste-based discrimination, IDSN organized an International Consultation on “Good Practices and Strategies to Eliminate Caste-based Discrimination” in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 29 November -1 December 2011.

The aim of the international consultation was to identify, share and learn from examples of good practices and strategies to eliminate caste-based discrimination.

On the basis of the substantial inputs and case examples of good practices, a comprehensive Report on Good Practices and Strategies to Eliminate Caste-Based Discrimination was prepared by IDSN.

100 Day Campaign to End Caste Discrimination and Untouchability – OHCHR

Campaigning for an end to caste-based discrimination – the Human Rights Office in Nepal and the National Dalit Commission of Nepal launched a 100 days campaign calling for personal pledges and the implementation of a Nepalese law to end the deep-seated practice of caste discrimination. The campaign, which went from 16 September – 24 December 2011, was called “I commit to end caste discrimination and untouchability”. The campaign was launched by Nepal’s Prime Minister, and in a video message the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights endorsed the campaign and called for implementation of laws to end this practice.

Visit the campaign site (now closed for signatures)