what the definition of minority is. Such a definition will enable a much sharper and
focused discussion about whose rights are being discussed.
Mr. Mark Lattimer, Director, Minority Rights Group, UK, addressed the issues of
meaningful participation, access to education, states’ legislative measures, tertiary
education and the principle of non-discrimination. In particular, he suggested that the
recommendations could include a clearer language concerning state or local policies of
educational segregation, which in the current draft are only 'strongly discouraged'. In the
leading case of D.H. and others v. the Czech Republic, the European Court of Human
Rights made it clear that segregation was itself a form of unlawful discrimination.
Ms. Marselha Goncalves-Margerin, Advocacy Director, Centre for Human Rights,
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, USA, focussed her intervention on discrimination against
migrant workers, the issue of identity and documentation, segregation policies, tertiary
education, the core principles, and displaced persons. Her particular comment with
respect to Item III was that the Draft Recommendations are an important opportunity to
strengthen the framework and indicators being used within the UN human rights system.
Such methodologies are not only important, they are really necessary to measure state
responsiveness and compliance with treaty obligations. The “4 As” formulation
developed by former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Katarina
Tomasevski provides a methodology to articulate states’ obligations in regards to the
right to education. It is used in some examples, but should be articulated as the
framework to be used.
Mr. Daniel Losen, Senior Education Law and Policy Associate, Civil Rights Project,
University of California, Los Angeles (ACLU), USA, made a presentation about the
importance of data, including disaggregated data (gender, race, disability), and about
accountability. He commended the Draft Recommendations where they highlight the
need for quantitative data. He would seek to go further by encouraging the public
reporting of accurate data, disaggregated by race and ethnicity. He would also specify the
need for data on gender and disability status along with race. Data on poverty status, and
on language minorities, are also critically important. Such public reporting must always
contain privacy protections for individual students and clear safeguards against misuse.
Mr. Kishore Singh, Senior Programme Specialist for the Right to Education, UNESCO,
spoke about equal access to quality education, highlighting the UNESCO Convention,
“Education For All”, inclusion, state obligations, justiciability of enforcement, and
disaggregated data.
Ms. Diane Abbott, Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, talked
about the core principles of equality and minority participation in the life of the State and
in decisions affecting them. She also addressed disciplinary measures, and the
recruitment and training of teachers from minority communities.
Mr. Lothar Krappman, UN Expert and member of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child, discussed cooperation with the Treaty Bodies, the Convention on the Rights of the
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