UN Special Procedures
The issue of caste discrimination is increasingly addressed by the UN Special Procedures, which is a human rights monitoring mechanism under the Human Rights Council that examines the human rights situation of particular issues and country situations.
The following compilation, which is regularly updated by IDSN, provides an overview of how caste-based discrimination has been addressed in annual reports, mission reports and communications prepared by relevant UN Special Rapporteurs (go to section on Special Procedures):
> See IDSN database for documents related to the UN Special Procedures
IDSN appeal to UN Special Procedures
In 2012, IDSN issued an appeal to UN Member States, Special Procedures, and UN Agencies to take action to eliminate caste discrimination. In the appeal, the Special Procedures are specifically urged to:
- Systematically address human rights violations intersecting with caste discrimination in studies, country visits, communications, and dialogues with governments, UN agencies, and civil society;
- Take joint action, giving international attention and recognition to the nature and scope of caste discrimination as a chronic and cross-cutting human rights concern;
- Publicly endorse, use, and mainstream the draft UN Principles and Guidelines for the elimination of discrimination based on work and descent as a guiding framework to eliminate caste discrimination;
- Promote the sharing of good practices to eliminate caste discrimination by governments and their institutions, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society, and other relevant actors.
Read the full version of the UN Appeal (2012) here >>
Submitting a complaint to the UN Special Procedures
If a human rights violation has occurred, is ongoing, or has a high risk of occurring, a complaint can be submitted to most Special Procedures about the alleged violation. With this information the mandate holders are able to intervene directly with Governments on specific allegations of violations of human rights that come within their mandates in the form of letters of allegation or urgent appeals. The submission of cases to UN Special Procedures may also lead to a thematic study on a particular subject, such as caste discrimination, Dalit women, torture, manual scavenging, etc.
> Read about the procedures and criteria for submitting a complaint to the UN Special Procedures
Country visits
The UN Special Procedures can make requests for country visits to countries of particular concern. Mandate holders carry out country visits to investigate the situation of human rights at the national level. After their visits, special procedures' mandate-holders issue a mission report containing their findings and recommendations. Unfortunately some countries choose not to acknowledge the requests. Countries may also extend invitations voluntarily.
Relevant thematic UN mandates
The following mandates are particularly relevant in the context of caste discrimination (with links to official websites):
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery
- Independent Expert on Minority Issues
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
- Special Rapporteur on the question of human rights and extreme poverty
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
- UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
In an Interim Report (A/64/271) to the UN General Assembly in 2009, the Special Rapporteur made the following references to descent-based discrimination as a thematic issue addressed through his participation at a Durban Review Conference side event on "Communities Empowered to Resist Discrimination and Exclusion" organised by IMADR and LWF in Geneva on 21 April 2009. At this event, Mr. Muigai made an address on descent-based discrimination in the context of the Durban Review Conference.
