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Press Release: European Parliament: Ensure that Dalits benefit from EU-India Free Trade Agreement

In a report on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the European Parliament (EP) calls on the European Council and Commission to work together with the Indian Government to move towards ending caste based discrimination, which affects more than 166 million Dalits in India. It urges the EU to ensure that the FTA is not harmful to Dalits and that the potential benefits reach all members of society. According to the EP, this should be part of an ‘ambitious sustainable development chapter’ in the FTA.

March 27th, 2009|European Union|
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Press Release: India must show leadership in combating caste-based discrimination, says UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

During her first official visits to Nepal and India from 18-24 March, the High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered two historic speeches urging the Government of India to show global leadership in the fight against caste-based discrimination, and calling upon the Government of Nepal to apply existing laws to end such discriminatory practices.

March 26th, 2009|India, United Nations|
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Pakistan promises to address caste-based discrimination in dialogue with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

On 19-20 February, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination considered the 15th-20th periodic reports of Pakistan on the implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

February 24th, 2009|Pakistan, United Nations|
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Dalits’ access to education debated at the UN Forum on Minorities

When the UN Forum on Minority Issues met for the first time on 15-16 December in Geneva to discuss the issue of minorities’ access to education, Ms. Meghna Guhathakurta from Bangladesh was invited to […]
December 18th, 2008|Education, United Nations|
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IDSN granted accreditation for the Durban Review Conference

At the 2nd substantive session of the Durban PrepCom between 6-17 October, IDSN was granted accreditation for the Durban Review Conference in April 2009 despite objections from the Indian Government to its application. The Indian […]
October 22nd, 2008|United Nations|
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Danish parliament rejects claim that caste discrimination is an ”internal matter”

At a hearing entitled “Dalits and Caste Discrimination” in the Danish parliament on 24 September 2008, the Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Karsten Lauritzen rejected the claim that caste discrimination is an “internal matter.

October 10th, 2008|European Union, Human Rights Defenders|
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