Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

108th session

14 November–2 December 2022

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 combined twenty-second and twenty-third periodic reports of France

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session 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. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

Statistics and socioeconomic indicators

2.Recent and comprehensive statistics on the demographic composition of the French population and economic and social indicators relating to the different groups living in the territory of the State party. Comments on the tools used for data collection, including in respect of ethnic diversity, and the use of the principle of self-identification.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2 and 4)

3.Information on the application of the Convention, including examples of the invocation and application of the Convention by the courts and territorial units (collectivités territoriales). Information about training courses on the content of the Convention for civil servants and officials of territorial units.

4.Information on the establishment of dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority, racial hatred, and incitement to racial discrimination and racial violence as offences under the criminal law; and on participation in organizations or propaganda activities that promote racial discrimination, as addressed in article 4 of the Convention.

5.Results of measures to combat racist hate speech and incitement to racial discrimination. Updated information on the number of complaints, investigations, trials and convictions for racist hate speech and incitement to racial discrimination and violence.

6.Measures taken to prevent and combat racist and xenophobic political discourse and racist messages on the Internet.

7.Implementation, results and evaluation of the national plan to combat racism and antisemitism for the period 2018–2020. Specific measures taken to combat racial discrimination and structural discrimination against minorities, including Roma, African people and people of African descent, Arab people and non-citizens.

Situation of minorities (arts. 2 and 5)

8.Information on the implementation of measures adopted to guarantee access to adequate housing for Roma, improve their living conditions and ensure their protection against forced evictions.

9.Information on the implementation of specific measures to ensure access to health care and services and to social security for Roma.

10.Results of measures to guarantee access to the right to education for Roma children, increase their school enrolment rates and decrease their truancy and school dropout rates. Measures taken to improve the access of Roma to the labour market.

11.Information on the implementation of measures to eliminate discrimination against Travellers. Progress made with regard to measures taken for the reception and housing of Travellers. Functioning of the National Advisory Commission on Travellers.

12.Measures taken to combat the multiple forms of discrimination against minority women, migrant women and women asylum-seekers and refugees.

Situation of minorities and indigenous peoples in the overseas territories (arts. 2 and 5)

13.Information on the implementation of the emergency plan for French Guiana. Measures adopted to ensure that the rights of indigenous peoples in French Guiana, including their rights of access to ancestral lands and to the resources they have traditionally used and their right to be consulted on any measures that may affect them, are respected and recognized.

14.Measures taken to ensure that indigenous peoples in New Caledonia enjoy their rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, their right to self-determination and their rights of access to land and the resources they have traditionally used.

15.Information on the implementation of “Mayotte 2025”, the strategy document for the development of Mayotte, and the enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Convention, without discrimination, by the people of Mayotte.

Situation of migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons (arts. 2 and 5)

16.Information on the measures taken to improve access to the right to asylum and reception and living conditions for migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. Measures taken to promote the social integration of migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons, including through access to employment, education and an adequate standard of living.

17.Information on protection measures for unaccompanied child migrants and asylum-seekers.

Access to justice and racial discrimination in the judicial system (arts. 2 and 6)

18.Measures taken to facilitate access to justice and effective remedies for victims of racial discrimination. Measures taken to combat prejudices that lead to racial discrimination in the judicial system. Statistics on cases of racial discrimination, including results of investigations, convictions and victim compensation awards.

19.Measures taken to combat racial profiling, excessive use of force and identity checks by the police and other law enforcement agencies based solely on physical characteristics associated with a person’s actual or apparent origin. Information on the application of the Code of Ethics of the National Police and the National Gendarmerie. Number of complaints filed regarding police violence and discriminatory police checks; number of investigations and their results. Developments in the investigation into the death of Adama Traoré on 19 July 2016.

Combating racial stereotypes (art. 7)

20.Detailed information on specific measures taken to prevent and combat racial discrimination and to combat prejudices and stereotypes that lead to racial discrimination against minorities, including Roma, Travellers, Arab people, people of African descent, migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. Measures taken to raise awareness among the public, civil servants and law enforcement officials of the importance of cultural diversity, tolerance and inter-ethnic understanding.