人权理事会讨论少数群体问题并举行关于其附属机构的一般性辩论（部分翻译）

上午

2014年3月19日

理事会与少数群体问题独立专家举行互动对话，听取了有关少数群体问题论坛第六届会议上提出的建议的讲话

人权理事会今天上午与少数群体问题独立专家里塔·伊扎克（Rita Izsák）举行互动对话，听取了有关少数群体问题论坛第六届会议上提出的建议的讲话，并就其附属人权机构和机制问题举行了一般性辩论。

伊扎克女士介绍了报告，向理事会汇报了关于其全部活动的最新情况，包括对喀麦隆和尼日利亚的两次正式访问，以及对马来西亚的非正式访问。对语言少数群体权利的关注仍在继续，伊扎克女士表示，她已发现了保护和推动其权利的积极做法。报告聚焦了更多且更为系统地关注弱势少数群体的必要性，他们由数以百万计的最贫困人群、在社会和经济上最边缘化且在全球遭到排斥的群体组成。考虑到不平等、歧视和贫穷之间的关系，在2015年后发展议程中应该更多地关注弱势少数群体。

喀麦隆作为当事国发言。

在互动对话中，发言人感谢独立专家努力增加少数群体的可见性，并对实用导则和预计于2014年发布的有效做法汇编表达了兴趣。所有区域的少数群体依然面对着不成比例的严重贫困、歧视和边缘化问题，这对他们的权利和机会造成了巨大影响。代表们还强调了在应对这些问题时让少数群体参与并与其磋商的重要性，此外还要将少数群体问题纳入2015年后发展议程的拟定过程。发言人还对影响某些少数群体的多重或交叉歧视以及边缘化问题表示关切，并提及付出全国性的努力以应对其处境的必要性。 

以下代表团在互动对话中发言：爱沙尼亚、奥地利、俄罗斯、埃及、中国、瑞士、保加利亚、美国、匈牙利、尼日利亚、伊拉克、塞尔维亚、泰国、联合国儿童基金会、澳大利亚、印度尼西亚、乌克兰、伊朗、越南、罗马尼亚。

在互动对话中发言的还有：生殖权利中心（Centre for Reproductive Rights）、少数群体组织（Minority Rights Group）、环境与管理研究中心（Centre for Environmental and Management Studies）、世界环境与资源理事会（World Environment and Resources Council）、人权与和平倡导中心（Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy）、国际佛教救济组织（International Buddhist Relief Organization）、中国西藏文化保护与发展协会。

伊扎克女士还介绍了少数群体问题论坛第六次会议的建议，并表示该会议上产生了不少有益的建议。国际法认识到应注意保护宗教少数群体的重要性。侵犯宗教少数群体权利的行为包括行政障碍和其他障碍。宗教少数群体的概念描述了可能导致多种形式歧视的结构性脆弱性的条件，还描述了认识多重歧视所需的性别视角。

在关于人权机构和机制的一般性辩论中，发言人提到了许多问题，包括：特别程序的重要作用以及确保人权事务高级专员办事处独立性的需求等。发言人还谈及大会的条约机构强化进程。一些代表强调了民间社会和联合国人权系统在推动和保护人权方面重要而合法的作用，并对人权维护者受到报复深表关切。

代表们还提及普遍定期审议、技术援助和能力建设，并表达了对违反特别程序任务负责人行为守则的担忧。发言人对少数群体问题论坛提出的建议表示欢迎，并注意到确保保护少数群体的重要性，包括保护他们的政治和经济参与权以及获得健康服务和教育权，并指出该领域需要全国的努力。

在一般性辩论中发言的有：代表欧盟的希腊，代表智利、洪都拉斯、秘鲁和乌拉圭的哥斯达黎加，代表一组国家的博茨瓦纳，爱尔兰，摩洛哥，古巴，巴基斯坦，南非，俄罗斯，中国，塞拉利昂，奥地利，意大利，挪威，斯里兰卡，欧洲委员会，伊朗，匈牙利，伊斯兰合作组织。

以下非政府组织也在一般性辩论中发言：国际人权服务社（International Service for Human Rights）、反对一切形式的歧视和种族主义国际运动（International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism）、日本工人人权委员会（Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights）、中国人权研究会、玛利亚姆·加塞米教育慈善机构（Maryam Ghasemi Educational Charity Institute）、萨拉玛基金会（Alsalam Foundation）。

在此议程项目之下行使答辩权发言的有俄罗斯、阿尔及利亚和中国。

理事会在今天举行全天会议。理事会将于午间举行关于残疾人权利问题的年度互动辩论。今天下午3点，理事会将审议并通过沙特阿拉伯、塞内加尔和中国的普遍定期审议结果。

文件

理事会面前有少数群体问题独立专家里塔·伊扎克的报告（A/HRC/25/56）。

理事会面前有少数群体问题独立专家里塔·伊扎克关于其喀麦隆访问的报告增编（A/HRC/25/56/Add.1）。

少数群体问题独立专家的讲话

少数群体问题独立专家里塔·伊扎克向理事会汇报了关于其全部活动的最新情况，包括对喀麦隆和尼日利亚的两次正式访问，以及对马来西亚的非正式访问。2013年11月召开的少数群体问题论坛第六届会议聚焦了确保宗教少数群体权利问题，并产生了一系列重要建议。对语言少数群体权利的关注仍在继续，伊扎克女士表示，她已发现了保护和推动其权利的积极做法。报告聚焦了更多且更为系统地关注弱势少数群体的必要性，他们由数以百万计的最贫困人群、在社会和经济上最边缘化且在全球遭到排斥的群体组成。在2015年后发展议程中对弱势少数群体予以更大关注的呼声引人注目，因为不平等、歧视与贫困及其对弱势少数群体的影响不容忽视或低估。报告包含了一些关键建议，包括为各国融入少数群体设立具体目标，为衡量进展设置具体指标。

对喀麦隆的访问是在2013年9月进行的，访问尼日利亚则是在2014年3月。人们经常说喀麦隆是“非洲的缩影”，该国有250多个族裔群体和更多的语言种类，它的多样性显然十分宝贵。喀麦隆是中非和西非地区对高度多样化社会进行管理的积极案例，这些地区不少国家正日益变得脆弱，族裔和宗教分歧达到了令人警惕的程度。喀麦隆最贫困的狩猎采集者和姆伯洛洛的牧民社区面对着各种挑战，包括获得土地及其所有权和使用权，游牧民群体获得教育和保健，发展项目的影响造成狩猎和采集的生活方式受到破坏。该国许多本土语言使用减少令人担忧，在法语和英语之外记录和保护这些语言的举措受到了欢迎。 

当事国的声明

喀麦隆作为当事国发言，对独立专家开展实地访问表示欢迎。喀麦隆仔细注意到她平衡的报告，并提到该国政府保护少数群体权利的努力已被理事会在不同场合进行考量。今后还将对该问题进行更多关注。喀麦隆将继续研究独立专家的评论和建议，并将继续与目标群体开展对话，呼吁合作方继续支持这些努力。

Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Minority Issues

Austria said that although the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to Minorities stated that States should consider appropriate measures so that persons belonging to minorities may participate fully in the economic progress and development in their country, many minority groups in all regions continued to face high and disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination and marginalization, which had a severe impact on their rights and opportunities. Estonia highly appreciated the activity of the Independent Expert in the field of linguistic minorities, especially the attention paid to minority communities and their language heritage, and looked forward to the practical guide and a compilation of effective practices to be public in 2014. However, more should be done at the global level, especially in raising awareness of linguistic diversity as a common richness.

European Union said the report stated that the Independent Expert had consulted and would continue to consult widely on giving due consideration to the inclusion of minority issues in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda. Could more information be given on this and on possible follow-up activities? On the need for effective and targeted policies to address the economic and social exclusion of persons belonging to minorities, could examples of good practice be shared? China said that it was in favour of the view that the post-2015 development agenda should accord greater attention to difficulties faced by minority groups. China attached importance to ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities. The political rights of ethnic minorities had been guaranteed. The economic rights of ethnic minorities had also been guaranteed. Investments had been stepped up in ethnic regions and tax benefits had been granted to these areas.

Russia welcomed the heightened attention paid to the situation of religious minorities. Russia thoroughly supported activities to protect the rights of linguistic minorities. Language should not be used to segregate and isolate groups. Russia was concerned by steps taken in Estonia in this regard, as well as in Ukraine. There was alarm at the call to prevent the use of Russian in Ukraine, which was spoken by almost half of the country. Egypt expressed resentment regarding what was mentioned in the report concerning Egypt and categorically rejected the reference to Egypt as a place of unrest and conflict, putting it on equal footing with another country in the region which was indeed facing a clear domestic conflict, and also the misleading statement that the situation was having far-reaching implications for the minorities’ rights and security. Egypt was not sure where exactly the Independent Expert extracted information.

Switzerland said that the report clearly demonstrated why minorities needed to be given greater attention in the post-2015 global development agenda and said that this must be a development priority. A rights-based approach must be the basis for the process of development. Switzerland asked about next steps concerning the participation of minorities in the definition of the global development agenda. Bulgaria said that its legislation did not provide a specific definition of religious minorities and noted that freedom of religion was enshrined in its constitution. It was an obligation of the State to provide the environment in which every person could exercise their religious beliefs. Incitement to hatred was prohibited by law and Bulgaria asked about the positive actions that States could take to protect the rights of religious minorities.

United States was deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine, especially in Crimea, and expressed strong support to the efforts of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in arranging monitoring visits to Ukraine to clarify the situation regarding ethnic and linguistic minorities. There were credible reports of suppressive actions against pro-Kyiv Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. The United States asked about the recommendations on the situation of minorities in Crimea and what were the plans to address them. Hungary noted the Independent Expert’s priorities such as the focus on linguistic and religious minorities, conflict prevention, the role of minorities in public life and others, and asked how those would be achieved. In light of frequent attacks against religious minorities all over the world, Hungary agreed that the United Nations should be more attentive to their security. The Independent Expert should closely cooperate with the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, including its larger context.

Nigeria expressed appreciation for the Independent Expert’s visit to Nigeria which had provided her with a better understanding of the contending human rights issues in Nigeria which were often exaggerated or misrepresented. Minority issues were central to the promotion and protection of human rights and the committee of nations must work in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to eliminate all inequalities and so safeguard basic freedoms. Iraq stressed that the Iraqi people were subject to actions of various terrorist groups that had affected all the population and sectors of life. The references to the situation in Iraq contained in the report lacked precision as it had been based on information provided by a non-governmental organization and Iraq hoped that future reports would be based on reliable sources.

Serbia commended the Independent Expert for her report and for giving visibility to minorities. Governmental institutions, including the National Minority Council, counted with mandates for the protection of minorities in Serbia, including religious minorities, and Serbia was committed to maintaining existing standards and improving the institutional framework. The promotion and protection of the rights of Roma people continued to be high on the agenda. Thailand shared the view that dialogue and the participation of minorities was necessary to identify the real cause of discrimination. Governments should ensure the effective implementation of the relevant laws and enhance understanding by law enforcement agencies. Thailand had implemented policies, in particular to address social protection for minorities and their access to healthcare and education.

United Nations Children’s Fund welcomed the report on minority issues and noted that progress had been made since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but children continued to face intersecting forms of discrimination and deprivation. More should be done to obtain disaggregated data and track inequalities to assess progress in realising children’s right. The post-2015 agenda should identify the most vulnerable children and address the root causes of situations of inequality, discrimination and marginalisation. Australia said it was a multicultural country with an estimated population of 22 million people, with more than 300 ancestries, who spoke many languages, including indigenous languages. Australia was committed to address disparity faced by indigenous Australians and recognised the importance of disaggregated data, and its approach to multicultural access and equity aimed to ensure that all Australians received equitable access to services regardless of cultural or linguistic background.

Indonesia noted the importance of the implementation of non-discrimination, inclusivity and participatory policies and programmes; and the need to ensure that pro-active steps were taken so that development programmes reached the remote and secluded areas where local communities lived. Indonesia asked the Independent Expert what practical steps could be taken to ensure inclusive development programmes in multi-religious, and multi-ethnic communities. Ukraine recalled that international experts, including the United Nations system, had indicated that there was no credible evidence of violations of the rights of the Russian minority in Ukraine. The new Government of Ukraine had unequivocally stated its reinvigorated adherence to the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities according to the highest international standards, and quoted data in this regard. Ukraine asked for the Independent Expert’s opinion on what measures could be taken to protect the Ukrainian, Crimean Tartar and other groups in Crimea, whose rights were being violated under the Russian occupation.

Viet Nam said that as a developing country, Viet Nam faced many challenges in the course of protecting and promoting the rights of ethnic minority people. The Government spared no efforts in seeking effective solutions to better protect and promote the rights of minority communities in all domains. It devoted special attention to the preservation and development of ethnic minority culture and language heritage. Romania said that the report highlighted key issues that had to be addressed to deliver the rights of minority persons. It agreed that often people belonging to minority groups were trapped, sometimes for generations, in poverty, were marginalized or excluded. Romania enquired as to what the Independent Expert’s thematic priorities would be.

Minority Rights Group said that minorities often faced higher rates of poverty, ill-health and under-development than the rest of the population and it was high time for the community of States to tackle this reality. Discussions surrounding the new development goals constituted a unique opportunity to make sure that this time minorities would not be left behind. Centre for Environmental and Management Studies believed that only the existence of genuine democracy could protect the rights of minorities. There was respect for nation States as they were constantly engaged in difficult tasks of dealing with security, economic issues and natural disasters among others. However, many, including democratic nation States, did not always do enough to protect the rights of minorities.

Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy drew attention to the Buddhist minority community in India, whose rights were being stamped on by fundamentalists. On 8 July 2013 nine blasts had hit the Maha Boddhi Vihar, Buddha Gaya Shrine. The Holy Boddhi Tree was also targeted. Yet, the culprits were not punished. An appeal was made to the Council to intervene in this matter. Centre for Reproductive Rights said that despite the commitment to the Millennium Development Goal to ensure universal access to reproductive health by 2015, this target was unlikely to be achieved because it failed to take into account the particular barriers that minority women faced in exercising their reproductive rights.

World Environment and Resources Council said that some South Asian States allowed religious extremists to play a dominant position. Pakistan had one of the worst records of violating the human rights of minorities, while in Bangladesh, the Hindu, Christian and Buddhist minorities lived in perpetual fear from attacks by extremists groups. International Buddhist Relief Association said that in India the Hindu were wiping out the cultural heritage of the Buddhist minority and ignored their cultural rights. The Council should intervene in the matter and protect the cultural rights and heritage of the Buddhist minority. China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture said that the Chinese Government had attached great importance to safeguarding the rights of Tibetan people to use their language. It had passed legislation to support the use of Tibetan language which had become the first digitized minority language in China, thus allowing the people who only read Tibetan to use computers and access information from the Internet.

Closing Remarks by the Independent Expert on Minority Issues

RITA IZSAK, Independent Expert on Minority Issues, in her concluding remarks said that there had been examples of good practice from a number of States to include minorities in development planning, and stressed the importance of having in place policies, legislation and institutions for the participation of minorities. The next steps concerning the post-2015 global development agenda would include the monitoring of national consultations and national development plans to ensure that minorities were consulted and included as partners, and to ensure that their issues were part of those plans. The Independent Expert was also preparing research on Universal Periodic Review recommendations concerning national, ethnic, religious or language minorities which would demonstrate the impact this process had on the situation of minorities. Ms. Izsak expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and said she was exploring the possibility of a country visit soon and said that she was in contact with the official authorities and the relevant members of civil society.

Documentation

The Council has before it the recommendations of the Forum on Minority Issues at its sixth session: Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities (26 and 27 November 2013) (A/HRC/25/66).

Presentation of the Recommendations of the Forum on Minority Issues at its Sixth Session

RITA IZSÁK, Independent Expert on Minority Issues, presenting the recommendations of the Forum on Minority Issues at its sixth session, thanked participants for their valuable contributions and said that the event had resulted in useful recommendations. The importance of protecting religious minorities was recognised by international law. The Declaration on the Right of Persons belonging to Minorities established specific provisions concerning the practice of religion and established a wider set of rights concerning full participation. Violations of the rights of religious minorities included administrative barriers and other obstacles. Religious minorities had described conditions of structural vulnerability which could lead to multiple forms of discrimination. A gender perspective was also required in order to recognise multiple forms of discrimination. Ms. Izsák was proud of this broad set of recommendations, as well as the participatory process through which they had been developed. These measures not only protected minorities but also strengthened society.

The recommendations addressed many issues addressed by participants during the Forum and covered a wide range of communities of belief or religious groups. The Forum recognised, among others: the need for special measures addressing the inequality faced by some communities; the implementation of international standards in domestic legislation, States were called not to exercise any undue influence including the appointment of religious leaders or concerning places of worship; the inclusion of religious minorities in consultative and decision making bodies; and creating places for discussions and exchanges concerning religious issues. States should ensure that the national educational environment provided a welcoming and non-discriminatory environment. Students should be able to both practice their religion as well as learn about other religions in an enabling environment. Other recommendations also addressed questions concerning the protection and security of religious minorities as well as inter-faith dialogue.

General Debate on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms of the Council

Greece, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the European Union was against any attempts to micromanage the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The European Union thanked the High Commissioner for Human Rights for her efforts to facilitate the multi-stakeholder consultations on treaty body strengthening. The challenges were urgent. The Special Procedures constituted one of the most important mechanisms of the Human Rights Council for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Costa Rica, speaking on behalf of Chile, Honduras, Peru and Uruguay, said that the Council was backed by various important mandates to promote and protect human rights, such as the Special Procedures. The recent efforts undertaken by mandate holders to jointly coordinate their activities to limit duplication were welcomed. Ways to support the mandate holders in the face of new challenges had to be examined. Having mandate holders present two reports per year, one in Geneva and one in New York, could be considered.

Botswana, speaking on behalf of a Group of Countries, underscored the important and legitimate role played by civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, as well as in promoting and advancing the principles of the United Nations Charter. There was deep concern that there were still many incidents of reprisals against individuals or groups seeking to cooperate with United Nations mechanisms. Reprisals were never acceptable and the issue posed serious challenges to the United Nations system and its human rights mechanisms.

Ireland said that the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review was an opportunity to assess the success of the process and welcomed the establishment of the trust fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building for the participation of least developed and small island countries. Ireland strongly supported the implementation of resolution 24/24 to ensure strong and collective action to denounce reprisals, defend the voice of civil society, and protect those targeted for cooperating with the United Nations.

Morocco said that the protection of national minorities was an integral part of the international human rights protection framework, adding that, like the international community, Morocco was greatly concerned by the worsening of the situation of minorities in Algeria. Algeria continued to violate the rights of minorities in its territory, to discriminate against them, and to ignore the rights enshrined in fundamental human rights treaties.

Cuba was concerned by the differentiated approach in providing support and resources to the Special Procedures and urged the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure a balanced approach in this regard. Despite the existence of the Code of Conduct for Special Procedure mandate holders, the Council witnessed their constant violation. There was a need to put an end to the practice of haste reporting and meddling in affairs that were the exclusive competence of States.

Pakistan said that in a globalised world where societies were marked by religious diversity, guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities was of paramount importance for peaceful coexistence. Initiatives relating to inter-religious and inter-faith dialogue should be as inclusive as possible. Concerning domestic anti-discrimination legislation, Pakistan believed that normative standards in the form of soft law should be evolved by the international community as a foundation for legislation at the national level.

Russia said that more attention should be paid to religious minorities, as their interaction provided the basis for peace in a society. Russia was a multi-religious country. It was important not only to combat all forms of discrimination, but also to implement measures to protect minorities in order to protect minorities and their rights. States should also engage in consultations with representatives from minority groups.

China said multiple faiths should be able to carry out dialogues and increase their mutual understanding. The protection of minority groups should not be misinterpreted as the protection of extremism or the violation of rights in the name of religion, nor for violating States’ sovereignty. In the context to the treaty body strengthening process, China hoped that on the basis of constructive cooperation, mandate holders would be able to provide useful recommendations concerning the implementation of treaties.

Austria said that given the rising hostility, discrimination and attacks against members of religious minorities, this discussion was very timely. Austria welcomed the recommendations contained in the report and appreciated that the use of the term ‘religious minorities’ used in the report encompassed a broad range of religious or belief communities, traditional and non-traditional as well as recently established faith or belief groups that sought protection of their rights under minority rights standards. How could the recommendations best be followed-up?

Italy found the focus on guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities particularly timely. Increasing violence worldwide against religious minorities constituted serious human rights violations and a threat to regional and international security. Italy reminded that religious pluralism had to be reckoned as a powerful driver for social and economic progress. It had been shown that those countries that chose the integration of religious minorities grew and prospered, while those that chose intolerance were likely to decline.

Norway said it would be presenting a resolution to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur’s report called on States to take steps to create a safe and stable environment for human rights defenders and also addressed a huge implementation gap between normative standards achieved in the United Nations and the reality on the ground. Norway was deeply concerned by many incidents of reprisals against those that did or sought to cooperate with the United Nations. These should be more effectively addressed.

Sri Lanka said it was a home to several ethnic and religious communities whose rights were firmly entrenched in the constitution. Sri Lanka was mindful of the many challenges after a three-decade long conflict and was seeking to promote religious tolerance and inter-communal understanding and to address grievances and grant redress to those whose rights had been violated on ethnic or religious grounds. There was also an increasing number of Tamil and Muslim women in the public service and serving in key Government institutions.

Council of Europe said that its Venice Commission, the most original institution which acted as an advisory body on constitutional matters, would prepare two expert opinions in the context of the crisis in Ukraine: on the constitutionality of the referendum to become a constituent territory of Russia; and on the compatibility with international law of the draft Federal Constitutional Law of the Russian Federation and the creation of a new subject of Russia in its composition.

Iran took note of the recommendations of the Forum on Minority Issues and said that promoting the status of minorities in Iran had always been its priority. They enjoyed economic, social and cultural rights. Iran was working on improving their political participation. Unfortunately, the Forum’s recommendations had defined any new-born belief as a religion and this expanded borderless interpretation of religion might jeopardise social stability and cause unprecedented religious clashes.

Hungary believed that the Forum on Minority Issues provided a unique international platform to discuss wide ranging and topical questions with regard to minorities. Hungary would recommend, for the theme of the next forum, to focus on managing diversity with the view of preventing crisis situations. Hungary regretted that measures of reprisal had led to the death of a human right defender, arrested and detained last October prior to participating in the participation of the Universal Periodic Review. Reprisals undermined the effective working of the United Nations system.

Organization of the Islamic Conference said that protecting the rights and identities of religious minorities should be the primary responsibility of States, including access to education, health and economic and political opportunities. However, international cooperation was important for ensuring the fulfilment of these rights. Concerning non-discriminatory access and involvement in political rights, these were important aspects of the full realisation of minorities’ rights. What major challenges prevented the inclusion of minority issues in national policies?

International Service for Human Rights said that the voices of many defenders were silenced because of reprisals against human rights defenders. The case of a Chinese human right defender arrested and denied the necessary medical care, after seeking to cooperate with the Council’s Universal Periodic Review, had been documented. The current response to reprisal was inadequate and the Service welcomed the commitment of some States to take swift action. The Council should publicly denounce instances of reprisals and ensure redress.

International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism shared the good news of the release by the Sri Lankan authorities of the Sri Lankan human rights defenders spoken of yesterday. Appreciation was expressed to all those that had joined in the call to release them. Their arrest and detention had illustrated the difficult situation of work on defending minorities.

Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights raised the current situation of hate crimes against minorities in Japan. In the 2012 Universal Periodic Review several countries had recommended that Japan adopt a Hate Crime Act. However, Japan had not taken any measures to prevent hate crime and hate speech, saying that it was freedom of expression.

China Society for Human Rights Studies said that in 2013 it was gratifying to see that the Chinese ethnic minorities’ political participation remained high and that the social and economic performance of the ethnic regions was terrific. However, it had also been noticed that there were still many economic inequalities and lack of social coordination in some ethnic regions.

Maryam Ghasemi Educational Charity Institute said that the general principle of the protection of the rights of minorities was a question to which to date there was no answer. The defence of the right of minorities must not become a tool for political ends and the Institute warned against any form of violence and terrorism on the pretext of the protection of minorities.

Alsalam Foundation was concerned about the failure of the Government of Bahrain to engage with the United Nations human rights mechanisms and its failure to support independent human rights organizations and mechanisms domestically. The national human rights institution set up in 2008 had failed to become a credible body for defending human rights and continued to lack accreditation due to its failure to achieve independence.

Right of Reply

Russia, speaking in a right of reply, said that there were no violations of minority rights in Crimea and that the referendum had been held in accordance with international standards. There was no truth to statements that minorities, including Tatars, were being prosecuted. The Government of Crimea guaranteed the protection of the rights of its Tatar population and other minorities.

Algeria, speaking in a right of reply, said that Morocco had referred to Algeria and to matters that had nothing to do with the agenda item. Each and every time that the delegation dealt with human rights violations in Saharawi territories, Morocco mixed things up. Surprising allegations, moreover, were put forward. Algeria reminded the Council of the political and opinion prisoners being held in Morocco. Before looking at problems in Algeria, maybe Morocco should deal with its own problems.

China, speaking in a right of reply, responded to some non-governmental organizations that had arbitrarily interpreted cooperation with United Nations procedures and made groundless accusations against China, and these were rejected. In September last year, Cao Sun Ly, detained by the police under criminal offences, had been entitled to a lawyer and medical care had been guaranteed. On 14 March, Cao Sun Ly’s illness had been acute, and caused malfunction of various organs of which he had died despite efforts to save him.
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For use of the information media; not an official record