Jack Jendo - OHCHR Senior Fellow (Arabic version in the next page)
Dear Chairperson, Special Rapporteur and Distinguished delegates.
According to many reports, the number of major violent conflicts has
tripled globally in the last decade and most of them involve minorities.
After all the persecution, robbery of land and property, humiliation and
deprivation of minorities, and in light of the daily living difficulties they
suffer today, especially with the repercussions of the Covid pandemic,
all with constant fear for their existence and serious concern for their
future, These minorities still suffer in most countries from
marginalization, discrimination and violence.
In view of the direct impact of education in building a better society,
the national curricula must be radically modernized, so that students
learn about the culture, history, heritage and contributions of minorities
to society, in order to open the way for discussion and harmony
between people of different cultures, religions and groups.
On the other hand, it is not possible under current constitutions that
perpetuate the domination of an ethnic or religious majority, and do
not recognize the existence of some minorities, to protect the
freedoms and rights of these groups. Perhaps the most important of
these are the right to protection and safety, social and economic
equality, and the right to participate in decision-making. Therefore,
constitutional amendments are necessary in line with the essence of
human rights in general and the rights of minorities in particular.
Concerned countries must also put in place serious and effective
mechanisms to protect minorities from systematic violence based on
their identity, from any future violence that may affect them, and from
hate speech and incitement to it in the media of all kinds.
Thank you