On the 30 September, during the Interactive Dialogue with the HRC Advisory Committee, Pradip Pariyar, from IDSN member organisation Samata Foundation, highlighted the need for the UN system to keep engaged in eradicating caste-based discrimination. 

“The UN human rights system should be firmly engaged in eradicating caste-based discrimination, which affects nearly 260 million individuals worldwide. The sad persistence of this type of discrimination challenges the formal prohibition of caste discrimination in many countries. Dalit women in particular suffer multiple discrimination at the intersection of caste and gender discrimination, including as targets of sexual violence and forced prostitution.” – Mr. Pariyar said in the statement delivered on behalf of IMADR.

He then called the Advisory Committee to include in its studies on racial discrimination the relevant UN standard, such as CERD’s General Recommendation 29, the 2016 Study of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and the many recommendations made in the context of the Universal Periodic Review to cast-affected countries.

During the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, on the 29 September, a follow-up of IDSN’s delayed process of ECOSOC accreditation was presented to the HRC. The report mentioned the 25 consecutive deferrals by the NGO Committee and the presentation of this update was followed by the inclusion of IDSN’s case in the oral statement of the International Service for Human Rights at the same interactive dialogue.

Ahead of the HRC48 IDSN had issued recommendations to member states – read more about these here >> .

Watch the video of Pradip Pariyar’s statement >>