GENEVA (21 April 2016) – Rwanda’s record on tackling racial discrimination will face scrutiny by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on 28 and 29 April. Rwanda is one of the 177 States that have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and so is reviewed regularly by the Committee of 18 international independent experts. 

Among the possible issues for discussion between CERD members and a delegation from the Rwandan Government are:

• Legislation on punishment of crime of genocide ideology, clarification of definition of genocide;
• Data on investigation, prosecution and punishment of cases of racial discrimination;
• Human rights training for law enforcement officers;
• Recognition of the Batwa as indigenous people, effects on Batwa of law governing land in Rwanda, access by Batwa to health care and education;
• Access of refugees and asylum seekers to education, social services and the labour market.

The review will take place on 28 April from 15:00 – 18:00 and on 29 April from 10:00 – 13:00 at Palais Wilson in Geneva, and will be webcast at www.treatybodywebcast.org. The Committee will also hear from other UN entities and NGOs.

The Committee will publish its findings on Rwanda and the other countries being reviewed – Spain, Oman, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Namibia – on 13 May here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1072&Lang=en 

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell - +41 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org

Background

Members of CERD are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information on the Committee: http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cerd/pages/cerdindex.aspx

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 21 December 1965. More information on the Convention’s 50th anniversary here: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CERD/50/Pages/Icerd50.aspx 

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