The United Nations and caste discrimination
- A Dalit girls sleeps next to her UNICEF backpack at Prerna Hostel in Bihar, India. Photo: Jakob Carlsen.
Caste discrimination is one of the biggest human rights violations facing the international community today; both in terms of the numbers affected and the severity of the human rights violations caused by this form of discrimination. IDSN therefore works for the promotion and protection of Dalit human rights through the UN human rights framework
The UN human rights bodies have addressed the issue of caste discrimination in several reviews of caste-affected countries and relevant thematic UN studies, including the UN Sub-Commission study on discrimination based on work and descent.
Country information
IDSN facilitates the submission of shadow reports and supports joint NGO statements to several UN human rights bodies, including the Human Rights Council, UPR, UN treaty bodies, Special Rapporteurs and the Durban Review Conference. Below is a list of relevant publications, statements, reports and resolutions prepared in relation to different countries and UN mechanisms.
Read more about:
> The draft Principles and Guidelines - a legal framework to eliminate caste discrimination
> Background information on the Sub-Commission study on discrimination based work and descent
> IDSN recommendations to the Human Rights Council
> Universal Periodic Review - NGO submissions on caste discrimination
> UN treaty body recommendations on caste-affected countries
> Country visits by UN Special Procedures to caste-affected countries
