IDSN has issued key recommendations to the UN member states for the 48th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (13 September – 8October 2021) .
In connection with their participation in the HRC48 session, states are encouraged to consider the ongoing and systemic practice of discrimination based on work and descent, also known as caste-based discrimination, affecting more than 260 million people globally.
Caste discrimination is found in various regions of the world including the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe and continues to be addressed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Procedures’ mandate holders. Nonetheless, more needs to be done to ensure that caste-based discrimination is recognised by the Council and mainstreamed into UN resolutions.
In the context of the reports presented at the 48th Council session, IDSN urges states to pay particular attention to caste-based discrimination being included on par with other forms of discrimination in thematic HRC resolutions.