Child labour in the primary production of sugarcane (ILO)

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour Safety and Health Fact Sheet Hazardous Child Labour in Agriculture – Cotton (ILO, 2025)

Cottonseed survey found ” 87% of the families of working children came from lower castes such as tribal people and dalits … Cotton seed producers usually employed children on a long-term contract basis by paying advances or loans to their parents. A survey of 320 chil- dren working on cotton seed farms revealed that about 95% of the children were in debt bondage: the children were effectively working off their parents’ debts in conditions of near slavery”

IDSN’s Recommendations for the 58th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (24th February – 4th April 2025)

In the context of the reports presented at the 58th Council session, IDSN recommends States to pay particular attention to caste-based discrimination to ensure it is included on par with other forms of discrimination in thematic Human Rights Council resolutions.

Joint Shadow Report on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women regarding Dalit women and girls in Nepal (2025 Full Report)

Submitting Organisations - The joint shadow report was submitted by the Feminist Dalit Organisation and the International Dalit Solidarity Network.

SUMMARY: Joint Shadow Report on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women regarding Dalit women and girls in Nepal (January 2025)

This is a summary brief - The full report submitted for the UN CEDAW 2025 review can be downloaded here https://tinyurl.com/IDSN-FEDO-CEDAW2025 Submitting Organisations - The joint shadow report was submitted by the Feminist Dalit Organisation and the International Dalit Solidarity Network. The FEDO is a Dalit women-led Nepalese NGO. FEDO works towards a discrimination-free society where dignity, human-rights, equal participation and benefits from development are afforded to Dalit women. The IDSN is a global membership network advocating and raising awareness for Dalit human rights.

Report to the SP on violence against women and girls in sports (GFoD Submission April 2024)

Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) Submission to Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls to the UN General Assembly on violence against women andgirls in sport - includes information on Dalit women and girls in Nepal and India

Joint Submission to the UN CEDAW 2024 – Caste and Gender Justice in Nepal

Joint submission by IDSN and Nepal NGOs to the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Woman (CEDAW) - 2024 review of Nepal. Highlight the need for action on caste and gender justice in Nepal.

UN rights review calls for stronger anti-discrimination measures in Bangladesh (IDSN News – 2024)

In a significant development at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2024, Bangladesh’s review under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) highlighted critical recommendations focused on eliminating caste-based discrimination, with specific references to the plight of the Dalit community. These recommendations were crucially also accepted by the state.

PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS: A Practical Guide to Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation (OHCHR and Equal Rights Trust)

PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS A Practical Guide to Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation Caste specifically mentioned as descent and included under racial discrimination

Pakistan through Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent Lens (GFOD Report

Country Report on Status of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent in Pakistan published by GFOD - 2023

Advocating for equality: IDSN delegation addresses challenges faced by Dalits at key UN Forums (IDSN news)

An IDSN delegation of Dalit human rights defenders participated in the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights held on 27-29 November as well as the UN Forum on Minority Issues, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 30 November – 1 December 2023. The delegation made an important impact giving statements and participating in panels, sessions and events.

Addressing the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh at the UN UPR pre-session (IDSN News)

On 30 September 2023, Probir Sircar, from IDSN’s affiliate organisation, Parittran, was invited by UPR Info, to deliver a statement during the pre-session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Bangladesh in Palais des Nations, Geneva. The event was organised in view of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of Bangladesh, which will take place on 13 November 2023.

Joint NGO submission related to the review of Bangladesh for the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review 2023 – The Situation of Dalits in Bangladesh

In March 2023, IDSN, Parittran, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, DALIT, and Nagorik Uddyog collaboratively submitted a report to the Universal Periodic Review Secretariat of the UN. This report, based on consultations ongoing since 2018, highlighted the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh.

Recommendations for the 53rd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (19 June – 14 July 2023)

In connection with their participation in the 53rd Human Rights Council 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 over 260 million people globally. Read the full recommendations issued by IDSN.

UN Human Rights Council Regular Session 53 Activities (IDSN News 2023)

IDSN highlighted the need to keep caste discrimination on the international agenda through recommendations, meeting with Permanent Missions and statements at Interactive Dialogues made by IDSN affiliates. Swapon Kumar Das, the Executive Director of DALIT in Khulna, Bangladesh read out a statement at the Interactive Dialogue on the Special Rapporteur (SR) on climate change. Jarna Das working for Parittran in Khulna, Bangladesh, also an affiliate of IDSN’s, read a statement at the Interactive Dialogue on the Special Rapporteur on trafficking, and Kalpana Biswakarma, part of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights in New Delhi, India, a member of IDSN, prepared a statement to be read at the Interactive Dialogue on the Special Rapporteur on Poverty.

Caste and gender-based violence addressed at IDSN’s first UN side-event (News 2023)

Following IDSN’s ECOSOC accreditation last year, we were delighted to formally sponsor and host our first side event at the 53rd UN Human Rights Council. It took place on Wednesday 5 July 2023 and focused on ‘Addressing the intersection of caste and gender-based violence in South Asia’. The side-event was a great success with good participation and was also livestreamed. We thank the speakers, participants and co-sponsors: International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), FORUM-ASIA, Minority Rights Group and Human Rights Watch (HRW); and supporting organisations Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet), The Blue Club, Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL), for making this a wonderful event. Do read the full article on the event and the statements by the speakers.

Pakistan UPR review: caste-related recommendations (IDSN)

The outcome report on the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Pakistan has been published and will be adopted during the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council held from 19 June to 14 July 2023. The outcomes of the review have implications for all marginalised communities in Pakistan, including the Dalits, who form a significant portion of the religious and ethnic minority groups in the country. Ahead of the review IDSN participated in the UPR Pre-Session and submitted a joint stakeholder submission on the human rights situation of Dalits in Pakistan.

Submission on the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh for the UN Universal Periodic Review (2023)

IDSN submitted a Joint NGO report on the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh in advance of the review of Bangladesh for the UPR mechanisms fourth cycle. The report critically evaluates Bangladesh's three previous cycles of the UPR, in 2009, 2013, and 2018, focusing on recommendations concerning ethnic and religious minorities and the Anti-Discrimination Bill accepted by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). It also offers a comprehensive look at the country's progress in addressing caste discrimination and protecting Dalit rights, while shedding light on the work that still needs to be done​.

India rights review: Action on caste discrimination recommended by States across three continents (IDSN News)

During the 4th Cycle of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of India, the country received recommendations on caste, including the need to ensure implementation of legislation to protect Dalits from discrimination and violence, develop an action plan to prevent caste discrimination in labour, protect Dalit women and girls from violence and sexual abuse, ensure equal access to services, and to step up efforts to end caste discrimination.

A long awaited and hard-fought victory for us and a triumph for Dalit voices everywhere (IDSN News – ECOSOC status)

Following a historic vote at the UN our big-little human rights solidarity network, IDSN, was finally granted UN consultative status after fighting 15 years for it. After having been repeatedly deferred due to silencing in the form of arbitrary questioning in the smaller UN NGO Committee – IDSN, alongside eight other NGOs, was brought for a vote on 7 December 2022 in the bigger UN ECOSOC Committee and was granted consultative status.