Geneva, 8 August 2022 (TDI): The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) held its 107th session in Geneva on Monday. The session aimed at reviewing anti-discrimination efforts by Benin, Nicaragua, USA, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Zimbabwe, and Suriname.
Starting in Geneva today: 107th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination #CERD. The Committee will review Benin 🇧🇯, Nicaragua 🇳🇮, the United States of America 🇺🇸, Azerbaijan 🇦🇿, Slovakia 🇸🇰, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, and Suriname 🇸🇷.https://t.co/fPDiqamkaq pic.twitter.com/56nCNk6IfE
— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) August 8, 2022
Highlights from the session
The delegates agreed upon a monumental agreement on improving reporting to curb discrimination. Subsequently, this aimed at establishing a predictable schedule of country reviews, with an eight-year cycle for full reviews. Finally, there will also be follow-up reviews in between.
Moreover, this agreement expanded initiatives that were originally launched by the CERD. This included the simplified reporting procedure. The procedure sought to address the challenges of chronic underreporting by States parties and long delays in the submission of reports.
Additionally, countries also highlighted reports on racial discrimination. The covid-19 pandemic emphasized increased disparities in access to economic, social, and cultural rights.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is the centrepiece of the international regime for the protection and enforcement of the right against racial discrimination.
However, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a body of independent experts. Moreover, these experts monitor the implementation of the principles of CERD by its States parties.
Therefore, CERD embodies the principle of non-discrimination. The principle appears in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations and is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
States declare that racial discrimination should be outlawed after becoming a party to CERD. Additionally, they have pledged themselves to abide by the terms of the Convention.
