Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-second session

24 April-12 May 2017

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

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

List of themes in relation to the combined twenty-third and twenty-fourth periodic reports of Cyprus

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. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

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

2.Updated demographic data on the ethnic composition of the population; information on the enjoyment of economic and social rights by ethnic groups and on the representation of ethnic minorities in State and public institutions (HRI/CORE/CYP/2013, para. 14; CERD/C/CYP/23-24, para. 76; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 19).

3.Information on measures taken to bring the definition of racial discrimination in the national legislation fully in line with the definition provided in article 1 (1) of the Convention (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, p. 7; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 9).

4.Updated information on measures taken to strengthen the legal framework on racial discrimination and their impact (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 14-22).

5.Detailed information on cases where legislation implementing the Convention has been applied by the national courts, including updated data on the number of registered complaints of racial discrimination, of prosecutions and of convictions of perpetrators (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 103-106; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22/Add.1, para. 19).

6.Updated information on the impact of policies and measures giving effect to the provisions of article 4 of the Convention (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, para. 43), as well as detailed information about cases of racially motivated verbal abuse and physical attacks by right-wing extremists and neo-Nazi groups against persons of foreign origin, including persons of African descent, as well as against human rights defenders and Turkish Cypriots (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 12).

7.Updated information on measures taken to address racist and xenophobic discourse by politicians and in the media, and information on reported cases, prosecutions and convictions for such acts (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 13; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22/Add.1, paras. 8-15).

8.Information on the implementation of the national action plan against racism (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, para. 7).

9.Updated information on measures taken to implement the recommendations of the Committee and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to bring the national human rights institution of Cyprus into full compliance with principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, para. 27; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 23; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22/Add.1, paras. 23-24).

10.Updated and detailed information on training opportunities and workshops on human rights, the prevention of racial discrimination and the rights enshrined in the Convention carried out for representatives of State bodies, local government entities and associations, and law enforcement officers, judges and lawyers, and the impact of such training on the situation of minorities (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 23-25; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 8).

Situation of ethnic minorities (arts. 2 and 5)

11.Information on the rights of minorities to freely practice their linguistic, cultural and religious rights without discrimination (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, paras. 14-15).

12.Updated information on efforts made to reach a comprehensive settlement for overcoming the protracted conflict in Cyprus and the continued division of the island (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 7).

13.Information on intercommunal initiatives to promote tolerance, understanding and dialogue between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and to raise awareness through the impartial teaching of the history of Cyprus in schools and other State institutions (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 7).

14.Updated information on the situation of Turkish Cypriots, including in the areas of employment, education and housing, as well as in the use of the Turkish language (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 7).

15.Updated information on whether the Roma community experiences discrimination in respect of access to education, employment and living conditions and on any racist attacks against members of the Roma community (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 32-42; CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 16).

Situation of non-citizens, including stateless persons, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (arts. 5 and 7)

16.Updated statistical data on the numbers of stateless persons, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the State party and on naturalization requests and decisions disaggregated by ethnic group, sex and length of residence in the State party (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 18).

17.Updated information on revisions to the National Action Plan for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals Legally Residing in Cyprus (2014-2016) to integrate the recommendations of the Committee, and information on the impact of the action plan on non-citizens (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22/Add.1, para. 17).

18.Updated information on measures taken to ensure that non-citizens, including refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, have access without discrimination to employment, housing and basic services.

19.Information on the situation of permanent residents from non-European countries, including in respect of access without discrimination to housing, education, health care and basic services.

20.Information on measures to end the prolonged detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants and on recourse to alternative measures to detention, and updated information on conditions in detention centres, including the reported separation of detained migrant mothers from their children (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 61-70).

21.Updated information on measures taken to prevent the ill-treatment of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees by law enforcement officials and the impact of such measures; information, including statistical data, on numbers of reported complaints of ill-treatment of non-citizens by law enforcement officials and the outcome of such complaints (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, paras. 58-60).

22.Information on measures to protect against refoulement (CERD/C/CYP/CO/23-24, para. 80).

23.Information on efforts to protect victims and end human trafficking in the State party (CERD/C/CYP/23-24, para. 15).