Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Eighty- third session

12-30 August 2013

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 sixteenth to twentieth periodic reports of Jamaica (CERD/C/JAM/16-20)

Note by the Country Rapporteur

Summary

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (A/65/18, paragraph 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. This 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.

1.The Convention in domestic law, institutional and policy framework for its implementation (articles 2, 4, 6 and 7)

(a)Definition of racial discrimination under domestic legislation;

(b)Legislation prohibiting dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, incitement to racial discrimination, as well as acts of violence or incitement to such acts against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin;

(c)Information on court cases concerning racial discrimination;

(d)Information on measures envisaged to establish a mechanism for systematic data collection to assess the socio-economic status of different ethnic groups in the State party; and

(e)Update on the status of establishing a national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles.

2.Situation of ethnic and minority communities (articles 2–7)

(a)Information concerning the enjoyment of the rights under article 5 of the Convention by ethnic minorities in the State party, including people of Indian, Chinese, German and Middle Eastern descent;

(b)Obstacles faced by communities such as the Maroons and the Rastafari in exercising their rights under article 5 of the Convention; and

(c)Representation of ethnic minorities in State public service and governance institutions.

3.Access to justice, discrimination against non-citizens including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (articles 5, 6 and 7)

(a)Information on the number and ethnic background of non-citizens in the State party, including migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and trafficked persons, as well as on obstacles faced by them to enjoy their human rights on an equal footing; and

(b)Measures taken to increase accessibility to and public knowledge of procedures to address racial discrimination.