United Nations

CERD/C/BLR/Q/20-23

International Convention on the Elimination of A ll Forms of Racial Discrimination

Distr.: General

4 October 2017

Original: English

English, French, Russian and Spanish only

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-fourth session

20 November-8 December 2017

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the twentieth to twenty-third periodic reports of Belarus

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (see A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. This is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

Legal, institutional and public policy framework for combating racial discrimination (arts. 1-7)

2.Statistics, disaggregated by ethnicity, on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including access to health care and social services, education and housing (CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 29-30).

3.Steps taken to adopt legislation defining racial discrimination in conformity with article 1 of the Convention (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 8).

4.Steps taken to adopt and enforce legislation prohibiting incitement to racial discrimination, criminalizing racist organizations, combating hate speech and making racist motivation for acts of violence an aggravating circumstance in the determination of sanctions (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 9).

5.Examples of enforcement of the Anti-Extremism Act and the Counter-Terrorism Act; measures taken to ensure that the Convention is adhered to when these Acts are applied; examples and results of determinations made by the national and provincial expert commissions on extremist content (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 10; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 15 and 142-154; CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19/Add.1, paras. 1-7).

6.Statistics on the number and outcome of racial discrimination claims brought under article 14 of the Labour Code (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 11; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 155-158).

7.Comprehensive information on the number and type of criminal offences prosecuted on racial grounds, as well as on convictions, sentences and redress provided to victims (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 12; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 159-162).

8.Number and type of judicial cases in which judges have directly invoked the Convention (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 12).

9.Information on any complaint mechanisms available to victims of racial discrimination, as well as the number of complaints submitted; information on access to legal aid (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 12).

10.Steps taken to adopt legislation providing for compensation for acts of racial discrimination; information concerning the number and outcome of claims for such compensation (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 13; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 163-168).

11.Measures taken to guarantee the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary, so as to ensure its ability to protect victims of racial discrimination (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 14; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 169-172).

12.Measures taken to establish a fully independent national human rights institution, in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 15; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 173-175; CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19/Add.1, paras. 8-15).

Situation of Roma and other minorities (arts. 2-7)

13.Measures taken to prevent, monitor and combat any acts of racist hate speech, incitement to racial hatred, and discrimination against Roma, Poles and other ethnic minorities, including discrimination in law enforcement and in access to education, employment, housing, identity documents, public places, and social and other services (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 16; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 176-179).

Situation of non-citizens, including migrant workers, asylum seekers and refugees (arts. 5-7)

14.Adequacy of legislative and humanitarian protection for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in need of international protection (CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 75-95).

15.Recent changes to the Trafficking in Persons Act; measures taken to prevent, identify and combat human trafficking, protect and assist victims of trafficking, and promptly and thoroughly investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 17; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 180-205; CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19/Add.1, paras. 16-39).

16.Training provided to law enforcement and judicial officials on the Convention; measures taken to assess the effectiveness of such training (CERD/C/BLR/CO/18-19, para. 18; CERD/C/BLR/20-23, paras. 206-215).