Dalits Break Through UN Wall of Silence on Caste Geneva, April 19 2005: The UN Commission on Human Rights today adopted by consensus a decision to appoint two Special Rapporteurs to tackle the entrenched problem of caste-based discrimination. The Commission was endorsing an earlier decision taken by its Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the problem and find solutions for its eradication. This is the first time a political body of the UN has referred directly to the problem, and the decision is seen as a crucial step in the campaign for justice for South Asia's Dalits (formerly known as 'untouchables') and communities suffering from similar forms of discrimination around the world.
In India, the Dalit community numbers around 170 million, but related forms of discrimination are practised in countries as diverse as Nigeria, Japan, Senegal and Bangladesh. It is estimated that 260 million people globally are deprived of their basic rights by this form of discrimination, referred to in UN circles as 'discrimination based on work and descent'. "Given the enormous number of people facing such an egregious and systematic denial of their basic rights, it is surprising that the United Nations has taken so long to recognise the problem", said Ms. Rikke No"hrlind, co-ordinator of the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). Mr. Vincent Manoharan of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights in India welcomed the decision: "Dalits claim this as a belated victory in the struggle for international recognition of our plight and welcome the stance of the new Indian government, which did not stand in the way of the passing of this resolution." Dalit women suffer from double discrimination on the basis of caste and gender. Ms. Ruth Manorama of the National Federation of Dalit Women said, "This decision will go a long way towards meeting at the crossroads the victims of caste discrimination, in particular untouchable women who experience savage attacks on a day to day basis, abject poverty and criminal neglect of the Constitutional directives." On behalf of the European Union, Ambassador Alphonse Berns of Luxembourg had earlier encouraged all members of the Commission on Human Rights "to give the [Sub-Commission's] resolution the attention it deserves." The EU has been supportive of efforts to raise this issue in the UN bodies. The Sub-Commission will now undertake a 3-year study, led by two experts given the title of 'Special Rapporteurs', and will draft a set of Principles and Guidelines to eliminate this form of discrimination. The decision of the Commission comes in the wake of an International Consultation held in Kathmandu last year on how to address the problem. The Consultation adopted the Kathmandu Dalit Declaration, which provides concrete proposals for not only governments, the UN and development agencies, but also the private sector, trade unions and international financial institutions. One of the proposals has now been fulfilled in the form of the appointment of the Special Rapporteurs. The relevant UN documents and the Kathmandu Dalit Declaration are available at www.idsn.org For inquiries and comments, please contact Mr. Vincent Manoharan of NCDHR on +41 765 920 441 or Ms. Rikke No"hrlind of IDSN on +45 29 700 630.
