IDSN members take part in training on interaction with the European Union
In September and October, IDSN ran workshops designed to help members and affiliates understand the EU mechanisms and how to best engage with them.
IDSN organised the trainings to make EU human rights bodies and mechanisms more accessible to Dalit human rights defenders in IDSN’s network
Human rights and democracy are central to the EU’s internal and external […]
Caste discrimination raised at the UN Human Rights Council
IDSN participated actively in the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting the need to tackle caste discrimination through participation at key events, interactive dialogues and oral statements.
On September 16, the persistence of caste discrimination in Pakistan was raised at the side event ‘Minorities subjected to contemporary forms of slavery: addressing […]
Dalit woman appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Racism
IDSN welcomes the newly appointed Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Dr. Ashwini K.P., to the post. Dr. K.P. brings with her valuable knowledge and insight on discrimination based on work and descent and the United Nations.
In 2014, Dr. K.P. was part of an IDSN delegation to the […]
Dalit rights raised at the pre-session for the UN rights review of India
Dalit activists gathered in Geneva to take part in the pre-session for the Universal Periodic Review of India – scheduled for November 2022. Rahul Singh, the Director of the National Dalit Movement for Justice-NCDHR, an IDSN member organisation was present at the session. Mr. Singh engaged with multiple stakeholders throughout to enhance the understanding of the human […]
Speaking out against caste discrimination at the Women at Work Conference
A unique event organised by the Norwegian Human Rights Fund brought together, activists, experts, trade unions and several international NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, IDSN and OSF. In a session dedicated to addressing caste-based discrimination, the exploitation of Dalit women in work settings, was raised by speakers at the global Women at Work conference in Nepal, stressing […]
The UN Special Rapporteur on Slavery highlights the deep-rooted and intersecting forms of discrimination as main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting minorities
At the 51st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, Mr Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on Slavery, will present his report focusing on the Contemporary forms of slavery affecting persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minority communities. Child labour and caste-based discrimination are closely interlinked alongside severe discrimination against Dalit women.
The report explores the main causes of […]
EU meeting with Ahmed Shaheed, the current UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief
In June, IDSN and a group of other civil society organisations met with Ahmed Shaheed, the current Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, in Brussels. Mr Shaheed was in Brussels to meet with the EU Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, and gather inputs for his next and last report focused mainly on indigenous people and […]
Joint submission to the CERD Committee on the right to health
The Sexual Rights Initiative, National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL), Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet), AWID, Her Rights Initiative (HRI) and IDSN have worked together to create a submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to inform the elaboration of its General Recommendation n°37 on racial discrimination and the […]