A/HRC/15/42
minorities in the population at large. The Committee called upon Switzerland to increase
efforts to ensure that minorities are adequately represented in the police force.
35.
In relation to the report submitted by the Republic of Moldova, the Committee
expressed its concern at the lack of significant progress in the implementation of many of
the Committee’s previous recommendations, including one relating to discrimination faced
by minorities, such as the Roma. The Committee also recommended that the State party
should strengthen its efforts to implement the Committee’s recommendations in this area.
36.
In its observations on the State party report submitted by the Russian Federation, the
Committee expressed its concern at the increasing number of reports of hate crimes and
racially motivated attacks against ethnic and religious minorities, as well as persistent
manifestations of racism and xenophobia in the State party, including reports of racial
profiling and harassment by law enforcement personnel targeting foreigners and members
of minority groups. The Committee was also concerned about the failure by the police and
judicial authorities to investigate, prosecute and punish hate crimes and racially motivated
attacks against ethnic and religious minorities.
2.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Forty-second session (4–22 May 2009)
37.
At its forty-second session, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
encouraged Cyprus to strengthen its efforts to ensure that education in schools met the
needs of a diverse society. The Committee also indicated that Cyprus should revise schools’
curricula to include a better understanding of the contribution of communities and
minorities to the State party’s history.
38.
Pertaining to the report submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, the Committee continued to be concerned about de facto discrimination
experienced by some of the most disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups,
such as ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. It expressed concern at the
discriminatory impact of some counter-terrorism measures on the enjoyment of economic,
social and cultural rights of certain groups, in particular ethnic and religious minorities,
despite the State party’s commitment to adopt policies aimed at promoting integration,
equal treatment and diversity.
39.
In its concluding observations on the report of Cambodia, the Committee noted that
primary education continued to be a problem for various ethnic minorities in the north and
east of the country, where there are 20 minority languages spoken by these groups as their
mother tongue, while the formal education curriculum has only used Khmer as the language
of instruction.
Forty-third session (2–20 November 2009)
40.
At its forty-third session, in relation to the report submitted by Poland, the
Committee continued to be concerned, in spite of the appointment of a plenipotentiary for
equal treatment in April 2008, at the de facto discrimination experienced by some
disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, such as ethnic minorities. It
remained concerned that Roma communities in the State party continued to face
widespread discrimination in areas such as employment, education, land tenure, access to
welfare benefits, housing and health care, which thus impairs the enjoyment of their
economic, social and cultural rights.
GE.10-14893
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