The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination closes virtual one hundred and second session

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon closed its virtual one hundred and second session.

Yanduan Li, Committee Chairperson, said the Committee had finalized and adopted General Recommendation n° 36 on preventing and combatting racial profiling.

Rita Izsák-Ndiaye, Committee Rapporteur, summing up the activities of the Committee during the session, said that the Committee had considered follow-up reports regarding China, Cuba, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and the Republic of Korea. In the context of the Committee’s early warning and urgent action procedure, the Committee had sent six letters to five States parties. The Committee had also adopted the list of issues prior to reporting for two States parties, namely Guyana and Monaco.

Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye said that the Committee had adopted an opinion with regard to an individual communication by 15 members of the indigenous Sami people against Sweden. The Committee had found that the State party had violated the petitioners’ right to be consulted with regard to the enjoyment of their ancestral lands and resources under articles 5 and 6 of the Convention. The State party should provide effective remedies to the petitioners and amend its legislation so that the Sami people are considered as an indigenous people.

The Rapporteur added that the Committee would likely conduct country reviews remotely during the next session, even though the virtual format did not provide the same level and standards of review and protection as in-person meetings.

In conclusion, Ms. Li thanked all Committee members for their hard work, and thanked the secretariat, the conference services, the interpreters and all those who had made this session possible. She then officially closed the session.

The Committee’s one hundred and second session was held remotely from 16 to 24 November. The consideration of reports by States parties for this session was postponed to future sessions because of the COVID-19 situation.

All public meetings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination are webcast live at http://webtv.un.org/ while the meeting summaries in English and French can be accessed at the United Nations Office at Geneva News page.

The Committee’s one hundred and third session is scheduled to be held from 19 and 30 April 2021.

CERD20.004E