UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination to review Spain

GENEVA (19 April 2016) – Spain’s record on tackling racial discrimination will face scrutiny by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on 26 and 27 April. Spain 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 Spanish Government are:
·    Impact of budget cuts on public policies to combat racism, including access of migrants and asylum seekers to social assistance, in particular health care;
·    Regulations governing migrant holding centres, living conditions there;
·    Identity checks on migrants and asylum seekers
·    Situation of migrants in Ceuta and Melilla;
·    Measures to investigate and punish those using excessive force to deport asylum seekers and undocumented migrants;
·    Measures to deal with expressions of racism and intolerance against migrants, including by media and politicians;
·    Measures taken to improve living conditions of Roma and Gypsy populations.

The review will take place on 26 April from 15:00 – 18:00 and on 27 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. More information here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=977&Lang=en

The Committee will publish its findings on Spain and the other countries being reviewed – Oman, Rwanda, 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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