Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Press releases Treaty bodies
Default title
14 August 2000
Share
CERD
57th session
14 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon concluded its day-long consideration of a report by the United Kingdom on how that country was implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Formal, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of the United Kingdom will be issued by the Committee near the end of its four-week session, which will conclude on 25 August.
A nine-member United Kingdom delegation, led by Sarah Marshall, Head of the Race Equality Unit of the Home Office, was on hand throughout the day to discuss the fifteenth periodic report and to answer questions raised by Committee members.
Taking part in the discussion were Agha Shahi, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the United Kingdom, as well as Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Marc Bossuyt, Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Regis de Gouttes, Yuri A. Rechetov, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill, Brun-Otto Bryde and Michael E. Sherifis.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, the United Kingdom is obligated to present periodic summaries of its efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 August, it will start a two-day thematic discussion on the issue of discrimination against the Roma people. In tomorrow morning's meeting, the Committee is scheduled to hold a discussion with non-governmental organizations and other interested parties on the issue. The meeting will take place in room XII to accommodate the number of persons expected to attend.
Response of the United Kingdom
In response to questions raised by Committee experts this morning, the delegation of the United Kingdom said that a comprehensive strategy against racial discrimination had been put in place. In addition, an inter-ministerial dialogue including the private sector had been going on in the employment sector. Informal discussions had also been developed on a new citizenship survey on attitudes within the society. A network of the media had also been involved to assess the overall situation in the fight against racism.
In order to tackle institutionalized racism, the Government had been designing policies and a pattern had been developed on awareness raising and training projects, the delegation said. Programmes of mentoring and bringing talents together had also been carried to improve racial bias. A whole range of issues had been considered by the authorities to prevent and to fight racism and racial discrimination.
The delegation said that the United Kingdom had found it unnecessary to override the right of individuals to the freedom of expression. The Committee members had already commented on that issue concerning article 4 of the Convention on the prohibition of racist organizations. The United Kingdom maintained its interpretation of article 4 of the Convention as it considered "due regard" to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights set forth in article 5 of the convention on the right of freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
On religious discrimination, the delegation said that the religion question in the 2001 Census received Royal Assent. The Government was fully aware of the importance of the religious affiliation question. Many minority faith communities were struggling for the recognition that their faith shaped their identity, not their ethnicity, and saw the inclusion of a religious affiliation question in the 2001 Census as an essential step towards the Government recognizing and valuing their religious identity.
The independent police complaints authority had to monitor deaths in police custody and investigate causes of the incidents, the delegation said. Measures had so far been taken against police officers charged with such abuses. Additional efforts had also been taken to prevent suicide in British prisons.
Black people were likely to be stopped and searched six times more than other people, the delegation said. Even a highly placed black official of the United Kingdom Government had been stopped and searched by police on several occasions. However, the Government had continued its efforts to reduce incidents of abuse by police.
The Government had announced its intention to introduce the Racial Relations Amendment Bill, which was currently passing through parliament. That would, once enacted, outlaw discrimination in public authority functions not previously covered by 1976 Relations Act, the delegation said. Law enforcement, whether by the police or local authorities, would for the first time be subjected to racial discrimination laws.
On asylum seekers, the delegation said immigrants were attracted by the tolerance of the British people.
Racism in school was a disturbing issue which the Government had been dealing with, the delegation said; additional measures had been taken to enable authorities to focus on the situation in schools.
Following the delegation's responses, some Committee experts raised supplementary questions. Why were non-whites more likely to be arrested than others, an expert asked. The delegation had affirmed the fact but did not explain the reasons behind it.
AGHA SHAHI, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the United Kingdom, briefly summarized the questions raised by other colleagues. He said it was encouraging to know that racial equality had been introduced in the entire government system. With regard to asylum, he said that many cases were still pending.
On the question of Roma, the delegation had said that only 30 per cent of the Roma were travellers, but what happened to the remaining segment of the people, Mr. Shahi asked.
The United Kingdom should ensure that anti-discrimination legislation has been enacted by its overseas territories in application of the provisions of the Convention, Mr. Shahi said. He drew attention to article 15 of the Convention, which said that pending the achievements of the objectives of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, the provisions of the Convention should in no way limit the right of petition granted to those peoples by other international instruments or by the United nations and its specialized agencies.
* *** *
57th session
14 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon concluded its day-long consideration of a report by the United Kingdom on how that country was implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Formal, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of the United Kingdom will be issued by the Committee near the end of its four-week session, which will conclude on 25 August.
A nine-member United Kingdom delegation, led by Sarah Marshall, Head of the Race Equality Unit of the Home Office, was on hand throughout the day to discuss the fifteenth periodic report and to answer questions raised by Committee members.
Taking part in the discussion were Agha Shahi, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the United Kingdom, as well as Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Marc Bossuyt, Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Regis de Gouttes, Yuri A. Rechetov, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill, Brun-Otto Bryde and Michael E. Sherifis.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, the United Kingdom is obligated to present periodic summaries of its efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 August, it will start a two-day thematic discussion on the issue of discrimination against the Roma people. In tomorrow morning's meeting, the Committee is scheduled to hold a discussion with non-governmental organizations and other interested parties on the issue. The meeting will take place in room XII to accommodate the number of persons expected to attend.
Response of the United Kingdom
In response to questions raised by Committee experts this morning, the delegation of the United Kingdom said that a comprehensive strategy against racial discrimination had been put in place. In addition, an inter-ministerial dialogue including the private sector had been going on in the employment sector. Informal discussions had also been developed on a new citizenship survey on attitudes within the society. A network of the media had also been involved to assess the overall situation in the fight against racism.
In order to tackle institutionalized racism, the Government had been designing policies and a pattern had been developed on awareness raising and training projects, the delegation said. Programmes of mentoring and bringing talents together had also been carried to improve racial bias. A whole range of issues had been considered by the authorities to prevent and to fight racism and racial discrimination.
The delegation said that the United Kingdom had found it unnecessary to override the right of individuals to the freedom of expression. The Committee members had already commented on that issue concerning article 4 of the Convention on the prohibition of racist organizations. The United Kingdom maintained its interpretation of article 4 of the Convention as it considered "due regard" to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights set forth in article 5 of the convention on the right of freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
On religious discrimination, the delegation said that the religion question in the 2001 Census received Royal Assent. The Government was fully aware of the importance of the religious affiliation question. Many minority faith communities were struggling for the recognition that their faith shaped their identity, not their ethnicity, and saw the inclusion of a religious affiliation question in the 2001 Census as an essential step towards the Government recognizing and valuing their religious identity.
The independent police complaints authority had to monitor deaths in police custody and investigate causes of the incidents, the delegation said. Measures had so far been taken against police officers charged with such abuses. Additional efforts had also been taken to prevent suicide in British prisons.
Black people were likely to be stopped and searched six times more than other people, the delegation said. Even a highly placed black official of the United Kingdom Government had been stopped and searched by police on several occasions. However, the Government had continued its efforts to reduce incidents of abuse by police.
The Government had announced its intention to introduce the Racial Relations Amendment Bill, which was currently passing through parliament. That would, once enacted, outlaw discrimination in public authority functions not previously covered by 1976 Relations Act, the delegation said. Law enforcement, whether by the police or local authorities, would for the first time be subjected to racial discrimination laws.
On asylum seekers, the delegation said immigrants were attracted by the tolerance of the British people.
Racism in school was a disturbing issue which the Government had been dealing with, the delegation said; additional measures had been taken to enable authorities to focus on the situation in schools.
Following the delegation's responses, some Committee experts raised supplementary questions. Why were non-whites more likely to be arrested than others, an expert asked. The delegation had affirmed the fact but did not explain the reasons behind it.
AGHA SHAHI, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the United Kingdom, briefly summarized the questions raised by other colleagues. He said it was encouraging to know that racial equality had been introduced in the entire government system. With regard to asylum, he said that many cases were still pending.
On the question of Roma, the delegation had said that only 30 per cent of the Roma were travellers, but what happened to the remaining segment of the people, Mr. Shahi asked.
The United Kingdom should ensure that anti-discrimination legislation has been enacted by its overseas territories in application of the provisions of the Convention, Mr. Shahi said. He drew attention to article 15 of the Convention, which said that pending the achievements of the objectives of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, the provisions of the Convention should in no way limit the right of petition granted to those peoples by other international instruments or by the United nations and its specialized agencies.
* *** *