Archive | Programme

Minority Rights Group urges Governments to ensure ‘no one is left behind’ as SDGs are adopted

Caste-related extracts from MRG briefing note on the Sustainable Development Goals Livelihoods In India, Dalits are presented as ‘untouchable’ and as a result 17 per cent of the population are ‘largely exiled from mainstream society’ due […]
September 30th, 2015|Bangladesh, Dalit Women, Education, India, Pakistan, South Asia, United Nations|

Stand up for Dalit rights at the UN SDG Summit 2015

A series of events including a protest rally are being organised at the UN summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 22-26th September in New York, by the Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF) […]
September 22nd, 2015|development, Human Rights Defenders, United Nations|

IDSN UN side-event calls for more action to combat caste and gender-based slavery

  Co-Sponsors of the event were Human Rights Watch (HRW), the International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Minority Rights Group (MRG), Anti-Slavery International, Franciscans International (FI). A report from the event […]
July 1st, 2015|Caste-based slavery, Dalit Women, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia, United Nations|

Invitation to UN HRC29 side-event on caste and gender-based forced and bonded Labour

The event will be held on June 18, 2015 from 17.00-18.30, Palais Des Nations, Geneva, Room XXV at the 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Please download the PDF invitation flyer for the event.
June 11th, 2015|Caste-based slavery, Dalit Women, South Asia, United Nations|

IDSN urges agencies to counter caste discrimination in aid delivery after Nepal earthquake

In the past in disaster responses in caste-affected countries, such as the response to the 2004 Tsunami in India, Dalits have faced problems when trying to register for relief. They often receive poorer and […]
April 30th, 2015|European Union, Humanitarian Aid, Nepal|

Exclusion of Dalit rights defenders from UN featured in handbook on NGO access

The handbook, A Practical Guide to the UN Committee on NGOs, is an honest account of the way in which the NGO committee functions and malfunctions, with helpful tips and useful insight. At the well-attended launch, […]

UK: political parties take a stand on caste

The Liberal Democrats have included caste in their general election manifesto stating that, “we will: …Outlaw caste discrimination.” They have also included a more specific reference in their BAME manifesto with the statement, “A fair […]
April 23rd, 2015|European Union, UK|

US urged to actively support IDSN’s application for UN consultative status

OPEN LETTER   Mr. John F. Kerry Secretary of State of the United States of America U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington DC 20520   23 March 2015 Dear Mr. Secretary, We, the undersigned group of civil society organizations, are writing […]
March 24th, 2015|Diaspora, India, United Nations|

India’s blocking of IDSN’s UN consultative status continues

The blocking of IDSN reflects a frightening trend in India for obstructing the work of civil society organisations and human rights defenders, particularly when it comes to Dalit and minority rights. Dalit rights activists across […]
February 20th, 2015|Access to justice, India, Political Participation, United Nations|

World Bank President and UN Secretary-General: Ending India’s caste-based exclusion is key to shared prosperity

Speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stressed the need for inclusive growth for shared prosperity saying that, “millions of Dalits, Tribals and others still face discrimination, especially the women and girls.” On a visit to Gujarat the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, similarly cautioned that while India was an accelerating economy, “Indian society has an enduring exclusion that is based, among other things, on caste identities. This bias can impede shared prosperity, serving as a basis for discrimination in many spheres, including in employment and other markets, as well as in public services.”

January 13th, 2015|India, United Nations|