The UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

The United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities provides a platform to address through awareness raising, advocacy and capacity building, issues of racial discrimination and the protection of national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including issues of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. The Network brings together more than 20 UN Departments, Agencies, Programmes and Funds.

OHCHR acts as permanent co-chair of the Network.

The Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG) joins OHCHR to co-chair the Network in 2023.

UN Network Communities-of-Practice Autumn 2023

The United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Autumn 2023 Communities-of-Practice (CoP) series for members of United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) will take place as follows:

• Minorities and statelessness (UNHCR-convened) on 5 September (14:00-15:15 CET Geneva time)
• Intersectional forms of discrimination (OHCHR-convened) on 10 October (14:00-15:15 CET)
• Anti-racism (UNFPA and DGC-convened) on 14 or 21 November (exact date tbc, 15:00-16:15 CET)
• Hate speech (OSAPG-convened) on 28 November (14:00-15:15 CET)

Through contributions by UNCTs, participants will learn about good practices, including areas for collaboration or strategic tools, in the context of policy development, programming and project implementation at country level. The Community-of-Practice sessions are open to personnel of the UN system. Contact: laura.cahier@un.org

Times of Crisis Pillar Summit
UPEACE, Costa Rica, 7 December 2022

Throughout 2022, the Times of Crisis Pillar of the United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (“the Network”) has worked to strengthen global discussion of racial discrimination and protection of minorities in peace and security, including prevention. On 7 December 2022, the Times of Crisis Pillar held a hybrid Summit at the University for Peace (UPEACE) in San José, Costa Rica. Participants to the Summit included primarily officials drawn from various parts of the United Nations system, as well as experts from civil society organizations and academia. The Summit was open to the public and was attended by a diverse global audience, including Senior United Nations officials, UN staff, independent experts, representatives of civil society, and students from UPEACE.

The Times of Crisis Pillar Summit was part of the celebration activities of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. It also complemented the thematic attention done in the period 2021-2022 by the Forum on Minority Issues on “Conflict Prevention and the Protection of the Human Rights of Minorities” and efforts by the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues who dedicated his 2022 annual thematic report to the theme of Conflict Prevention through the Protection of Minorities. To stimulate discussion and inform the way forward, the Summit also marked the launch of a conceptual paper on racial discrimination and protection of minorities in conflict-affected settings by the international civil society organization Minority Rights Group International (“MRG”). The paper was prepared throughout 2022 in close consultation with a number of United Nations agencies and entities, via the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Times of Crisis Pillar.

Prepared as a follow-up to the Summit, the Summit Outcome Document provides a summary of the three thematic discussions which comprehensively mapped out the current situation of minority rights in relation with UN peace and security efforts, including prevention. The last section of this Outcome Document gathers recommendations that emerged during the Summit. These recommendations are intended to inform the drafting and adoption of the action plan for the period 2023-2025.

ONLINE TRAINING ON “ADDRESSING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND STRENGTHENING THE PROTECTION OF MINORITIES, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND OTHER POPULATION GROUPS IN UN PROGRAMMING PROCESSES”: Full Package of UNCT Course Training Material

DAY OF EVENTS ON INTERSECTIONALITY: The Intersectionality Pillar of the Network hosts a Day of Events on Intersectionality, Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on 27 September 2022. The day of events takes place in hybrid form, and features the launch of a Guidance Note on Intersectionality, Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. A flyer for the Day of Events is available at link, and includes information as to how to participate. Further details are available from laura.cahier@un.org.

VOICES FOR ACTION AGAINST RACISM: Statement of the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on the International Day against Racial Discrimination 22 March 2022
العربية | Français | Pусский | Español
Portuguese Português | German Deutsch

Checklist to Strengthen UN Work at Country Level to Combat Racial Discrimination and Advance Minority Rights (also in العربية | Русский | Español )

UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities WORK PLAN 2021+

Report on Activities 2022: UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

Previous activity report (2021)

Inputs into Secretary General’s Call to Action on Human Rights Follow-Up: Agenda for Protection

MINUTES of the 8 February 2023 Senior meeting of the Network

About the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

The United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities provides a platform to address through awareness raising, advocacy and capacity building, issues of racial discrimination and the protection of national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including issues of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

The Network brings together a range of UN Departments, Agencies, Programmes and Funds, which have identified focal points for this purpose. Members include DESA, DGC, DOCO, DPA, DPKO, ILO, OCHA, OHCHR, OSAPG, PBSO, UNAIDS, UNAOC, UNDP, UNEP, UNHCR, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNITAR, UNESCO, UNODC, UN Women, WFP and WHO.

OHCHR acts as permanent Co-Chair for the Network. The 2023 Co-Chair is the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG).

Previous co-chairs: UNESCO (2020 and 2021).

During 2022, the Network is engaged in actions including:

1. A Guidance Note on intersectionality, racial discrimination and protection of minorities, as well as a library data base of expert literature on intersectionality matters. Network contact: laura.cahier@un.org.
2. Strengthened attention to racial discrimination and protection of minorities, including a flagship event in December 2022. Further information from: claude.cahn@un.org
3. Building on the 2021 training package by systematizing the training course materials and placing them online. Provisional launch of online package: 2 November 2022. Contact: gomezs@who.int

See the full Network Work Plan for the period 2021+

Send us your feedback:

OHCHR: claude.cahn@un.org

OSAPG: maria.westergren@un.org

Publications and Documents

Guidance Note on Intersectionality, Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (2022)
PDF: English

Checklist to strengthen UN work at country level to combat racial discrimination and advance minority rights
PDF: العربية | English | Français | Русский | Español | Romanian