International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination facts for kids

Membership of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination:      Recognise competence under Article 14      Do not recognise competence under Article 14      Signed but not ratified      Neither signed nor ratified

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is an important agreement by the United Nations. It's a treaty that helps protect human rights. This Convention asks countries to stop racial discrimination and help people from all backgrounds get along.

It also says that countries should make hate speech and racist groups illegal. This treaty allows people to make complaints if they feel their rights under the Convention have been broken. This helps make sure the rules are followed.

The United Nations agreed to this Convention on December 21, 1965. It officially started on January 4, 1969. By July 2020, 88 countries had signed it, and 182 countries were officially part of it.

A group called the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) watches over this Convention. They make sure countries are following the rules.

Stopping Racial Discrimination

This section explains how the Convention helps prevent unfair treatment based on race.

What Countries Must Do

Article 2 of the Convention says that countries must stop racial discrimination. They need to work quickly to get rid of all forms of it. Countries also have to encourage understanding among all races.

To do this, countries that sign the Convention agree to:

• Not practice racial discrimination in government places.
• Not support or defend racial discrimination.
• Look at their current rules and change any that cause or keep racial discrimination.
• Make racial discrimination by people and groups illegal.
• Support groups that help bring people together and stop racial division.

Sometimes, countries might need to use special measures to help certain racial groups. This is to make sure everyone enjoys human rights equally. However, these special measures must end once their goals are met. They should not create separate rights for different groups forever.

Equal Rights for Everyone

Article 5 builds on Article 2. It says that everyone must be treated equally by the law. This means no matter their race, skin color, or background.

This equality must apply to many rights, such as:

• Being treated fairly by courts.
• Being safe from violence.
• Having civil and political rights, like freedom of speech.
• Having economic, social and cultural rights, like the right to education.
• Being able to go to public places like hotels, restaurants, and parks.

This list is not complete; the rule applies to all human rights.

Getting Help for Discrimination

Article 6 says that countries must provide ways for people to get help if they face racial discrimination. This means people should be able to go to courts or other groups. They should be able to get a solution and money for any harm caused by discrimination.

Ending Apartheid

This part of the Convention talks about a very serious form of racial discrimination.

What is Apartheid?

Article 3 speaks out against apartheid and racial segregation. Apartheid was a system where people were kept separate based on their race. It was very unfair. This article says countries must stop these practices in their areas.

Today, apartheid is seen as a very serious crime against humanity. The Committee that watches the Convention believes countries must also fix the problems caused by past segregation. They must also stop private people from causing racial segregation.

Stopping Hate Speech

This section explains how the Convention deals with harmful words and groups.

Making Hate Illegal

Article 4 of the Convention says that ideas and groups that try to excuse discrimination or believe one race is better than others are wrong. Countries must take steps to stop these kinds of hate and discrimination.

Specifically, countries should make hate speech illegal. They should also make it illegal to fund racist activities. It should also be against the law to be part of groups that encourage racial discrimination. Some countries have concerns about this article. They believe it should not limit freedom of speech or the right to gather.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination believes this article is very important. They have often said that countries must follow it. They see it as being in line with freedom of speech. They also note that freedom of speech does not protect words that encourage racial discrimination or violence. This rule helps stop organized racial violence.

Encouraging Tolerance

This part of the Convention focuses on building a better world.

Learning to Get Along

Article 7 says that countries must take quick and effective steps. Especially in education, they should fight against racial prejudice. They should also encourage understanding and tolerance between different racial, ethnic, and national groups.

How the Convention Helps

The Convention has been widely accepted around the world. Almost all countries have joined it. Most major countries have also agreed to the system where individuals can make complaints. This shows they want to follow the Convention's rules.

The Convention has had some challenges with countries sending in their reports. Countries are supposed to report regularly on how they are following the rules. Sometimes, countries don't report fully or at all. The Committee has tried to help with this. Even with these issues, the reporting system is seen as good. It encourages countries to create or update laws against racism.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a group of experts. They make sure the Convention is being followed. It has 18 experts who work independently. They are chosen for four-year terms.

How the Committee Works

All countries that are part of the Convention must send regular reports to the Committee. These reports explain what they have done to follow the Convention. The first report is due within a year of joining. After that, reports are due every two years or when the Committee asks.

The Committee looks at each report. Then, they share their concerns and suggestions with the country. These are called "concluding observations."

In 2018, UN experts were worried about reports from China. They heard that many Uyghurs were being held in camps in Xinjiang. A Committee member, Gay McDougall, said that China had turned Xinjiang into a "no-rights zone."

In 2019, the Committee looked at a report from the Palestinian Authority. Experts asked questions about antisemitism in textbooks. They also raised concerns about discrimination against other groups. The Committee's report later showed these concerns.

In 2018, Palestine made a complaint against Israel. They said Israel was not following its duties under the Convention. In 2019, the Committee looked at Israel's report. They were worried about "discriminatory legislation" and the separation of Israeli society. The Committee also said it had the right to look into Palestine's complaint against Israel. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Committee members were biased.

The Committee usually meets in March and August in Geneva. Here are the current members of the Committee:

Name of Member	Nationality	Term expires
Ms. Sheikha Abdulla Ali Al-Misnad	Qatar	2024
Mr. Noureddin Amir	Algeria	2026
Mr. Michal Balcerzak (Vice-chairperson)	Poland	2026
Ms. Chinsung Chung (Vice-chairperson)	South Korea	2026
Mr. Bakari Sidiki Diaby	Côte d’Ivoire	2026
Ms. Régine Esseneme	Cameroon	2026
Mr. Ibrahima Guisse (Rapporteur)	Senegal	2024
Mr. Gün Kut	Turkey	2026
Ms. Yanduan Li	China	2024
Ms. Gay McDougall	United States of America	2026
Mr. Vadili Rayess	Mauritania	2024
Mr. Mehrdad Payandeh	Germany	2024
Ms. Verene Albertha Shepherd (Chairperson)	Jamaica	2024
Ms. Stamatia Stavrinaki (Vice-chairperson)	Greece	2024
Ms. Mazalo Tebie	Togo	2026
Ms. Faith Dikeledi Pansy Tlakula	South Africa	2024
Mr. Eduardo Ernesto Vega Luna	Peru	2024
Mr. Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen	Mauritius	2026

Opposition to the Convention

Sometimes, groups or countries might not agree with parts of the Convention.

In Malaysia

On December 8, 2018, two big political parties in Malaysia held a rally. These parties were the Islamist Malaysian Islamic Party and the United Malays National Organisation. They were worried that the Convention might affect special rights for the Malay people and Islam in the country. This rally was held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city.

See also

In Spanish: Convención Internacional sobre la Eliminación de todas las Formas de Discriminación Racial para niños

• Anti-ICERD Rally in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
• Anti-racism
• Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• Discrimination based on nationality
• Environmental racism
• Environmental racism in Europe
• Racial Equality Proposal, 1919
• World Conference against Racism