Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Presents Reports to the Human Rights Council

The Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, presented two reports to the Human Rights Council during its interactive dialogue session. The first report related to one of the thematic priorities of his mandate: conflict prevention through the protection of the human rights of minorities. The second report was on his visit to the United States of America.

In his presentation of the first report, the Special Rapporteur highlighted three main points:

1) Lessons can be learned from the experiences of countries, such as Canada, Nepal, and Italy, in preventing conflicts by meaningfully addressing the grievances of minorities;

2) The important role of international and regional institutions in identifying the root causes of conflicts and key factors in the prevention of conflicts;

3) The importance of ensuring the protection and promotion of the rights of minorities in international and national laws and policies as a means of conflict prevention.

In the presentation of his second report on his mission to the United States, the Special Rapporteur commended a number of positive aspects of the State's protection of human rights.

At the same time, he noted that minorities in the United States continue to be vulnerable due to an increase in right-wing nationalism, as well as gaps and inconsistencies in federal and state legislation. Among other things, the Special Rapporteur recommended that the State adopt comprehensive national human rights legislation to incorporate its international human rights commitments and ensure protection of the rights of minorities.

Source: MFI