A/HRC/29/24 B. Anti-Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma: a global phenomenon 12. While the Special Rapporteur is aware that the reasons for the marginalization of Roma are complex, she insists that an overarching factor is the deeply embedded social and structural discrimination Roma face worldwide, including anti-Gypsyism. Anti-Gypsyism has been defined by the Council of Europe as “a specific form of racism, an ideology founded on racial superiority, a form of dehumanisation and institutional racism nurtured by historical discrimination, which is expressed, among others, by violence, hate speech, exploitation, stigmatisation and the most blatant kind of discrimination”.8 Anti-Gypsyism therefore includes strong anti-Roma prejudices and stereotypes, including those that lead to labelling Roma communities as criminal, aggressive, or as “parasites” on welfare systems. The Special Rapporteur welcomes recent European Union recognition that anti-Gypsyism constitutes a major obstacle to overcoming Roma disadvantage and marginalization. 13. Although anti-Gypsyism is originally a European term, the discrimination it embodies manifests itself in a variety of ways across regions. In Latin America, discrimination against Roma was imported with European migration, and negative stereotypes remain present today, with reports that many Roma do not speak Romani in public for fear of discrimination or reprisal. In their concluding observations, the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination have noted their concerns about the widespread occurrence of offences of discrimination against Roma in Brazil, including racist crimes, and the lack of application of relevant domestic legal provisions in cases involving Romani victims (CCPR/C/BRA/CO/2, para. 20; CERD/C/64/CO/2, para. 17). 14. The Dom of the Middle East are among the most marginalized people in the Arab world and suffer from widespread negative perceptions and stigma. The Dom are often labelled as nawar, an Arabic insult that evokes selfishness, stinginess, dirtiness and chaos. 9 15. In its concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of the Russian Federation, the Committee against Torture noted its concern about persistent reports of discrimination, violent attacks and abuses against Roma on the basis of their identity (CAT/C/RUS/CO/5, para. 15). United Nations human rights monitoring mechanisms have repeatedly noted the marginalization of Roma in Belarus.10 In its concluding observations, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has noted that Roma suffer from widespread social stigma and discrimination Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (CERD/C/TJK/CO/6-8, para. 13; CERD/C/UZB/CO/8-9, para. 11). 16. Many Roma in North America also face stigma and prejudice that originated in and are perpetuated by limited knowledge of Romani culture or history, or of the persecution Roma faced during and after the Nazi regime. 11 8 9 10 11 the Ministry of Labour of Lebanon, Children living and working on the streets in Lebanon: profile and magnitude (2015). See www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/activities/GPR/EN/Recommendation_N13/eRPG%2013%20-%20A4.pdf. Terre des Hommes, A Child Protection Assessment p. 31. See E/C.12/BLR/CO/4-6, para. 27; A/HRC/15/16, para. 98.14; CERD/C/65/CO/2, para. 10; CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 16; and A/HRC/4/16, para. 50. Ian Hancock, “Roma: Explaining Today Through History”. Keynote address at the Uppsala International Conference on the discrimination, marginalization and persecution of Roma, 2013. Available from www.valentin.uu.se/aktuellt/meddelanden/Enskildanyheter/slutkonferens/. 5