A/78/306
5.
Protecting minority rights: a practical guide to developing comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation
33. In December 2022, OHCHR published, jointly with the Equal Rights Trust, a
guide entitled Protecting Minority Rights: A Practical Guide to Developing
Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation, which provided clear and
comprehensive guidance for States and civil society actors on the essential elements
of anti-discrimination law. The High Commissioner for Human Rights marked the
launch of the guide by calling on States to renew and reinforce their commitment to
the equal enjoyment of human rights by enacting new laws, using the guide as a road
map. 11 The need to adopt comprehensive laws against discrimination, including on
the basis of race or ethnicity, age, gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation
or gender identity, was mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Our
Common Agenda” (A/75/982, para. 34).
6.
United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities
34. Throughout the reporting period, OHCHR has continued to act as permanent
co-chair of the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of
minorities, an inter-agency platform bringing together more than 20 United Nations
departments, agencies, programmes and funds to address, through awareness -raising,
advocacy and capacity-building, issues of racial discrimination and the protection of
national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including issues of multiple and
intersecting forms of discrimination. Primary actions of the network during the
thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration included the publication of a guidance note
on intersectionality, racial discrimination and protection of minorities 12 and the
organization of a day of events on the same theme at the Human Rights Council; the
publication online of a training package for United Nations country teams; the
convening of community-of-practice meetings for country teams; the organization of
the Times of Crisis Pillar Summit, with follow-up plans for an associated action plan;
and the translation into multiple languages of the checklist produced by the network
in 2021 to strengthen the work of the United Nations at countr y level to combat racial
discrimination and advance minority rights. 13
35. In addition, OHCHR provided support through the network for action by nine
country teams to advance country-level programming to address racial discrimination
and protection of minorities. Examples of work undertaken include efforts by the
country team of Panama to build the capacity of young people of African descent to
promote self-recognition and encourage and strengthen new leadership; 14 action by
the country team of Nepal to address the rights of Dalits and to address caste-based
discrimination in its United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation
Framework for the period 2023–2028; and efforts by the country team of Cameroon
to address obstacles to the right to education and sexual and reproductive health
among minority women. 15
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11
12
13
14
15
23-15674
See www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/minorities/minorities-guide-briefingsmeeting-links.pdf.
United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, Guidance Note on
Intersectionality, Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (2022).
Available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/minorities/un-network-racial-discrimination-andprotection-minorities.
See www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XCMna5GyvY.
A summary of the work of the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of
minorities, including work undertaken by country teams with supp ort provided by the network, is
available at www.ohchr.org/en/minorities/un-network-racial-discrimination-and-protectionminorities.
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