United Nations

CERD/C/LBN/Q/23-24

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

Distr.: General

17 February 2020

English

Original: French

Arabic, English, French and Spanish only

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

101st session

20 April–8 May 2020

Item 6 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-third and twenty-fourth periodic reports of Lebanon

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. 2, 4, 6 and 7)

2.Measures taken to adopt a specific anti-discrimination law containing a definition of racial discrimination that is consistent with the provisions of article 1 of the Convention (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 9; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 8–9 and 119–121).

3.Measures taken to prohibit and punish racist hate speech and incitement to racial hatred or to racial discrimination; information on efforts to combat racist hate speech, including the number and type of complaints made, investigations and prosecutions carried out and convictions handed down; measures taken to condemn racist hate speech and discriminatory statements against migrants and refugees (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 10; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 122–124).

4.Update on the status of the bill being prepared by the Ministry of Justice on other acts proscribed by article 4 of the Convention (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, paras. 13–14; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 125–127).

5.Update on the implementation of the National Plan for Human Rights in Lebanon 2014–2019 and the impact of the Plan in combating racial discrimination; information on steps taken to renew the Plan (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 16; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 128–131).

6.Information on the human and financial resources provided to the National Human Rights Institution (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 16; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 131–135).

7.Update on measures taken to improve the collection of data on complaints, prosecutions, convictions and penalties in cases involving offences relating to racial discrimination; examples of cases where the relevant provisions of the existing national legislation have been applied (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 18; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, para. 136).

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

8.Update on measures taken to grant Lebanese women the right to pass on their citizenship to their children, irrespective of the nationality of their spouse, and on the impact of these measures; update on measures taken to amend the Lebanese Nationality Act and Decision No. 15 of 19 January 1925 on nationality in order to remove the provisions that discriminate against women; information on reforms with respect to birth registration (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 22; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 140–156).

9.Update on measures taken to establish a clear and comprehensive legal framework on asylum that includes the principle of non-refoulement and enables asylum seekers and refugees to exercise their fundamental rights without discrimination (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, paras. 28–30; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 158–165).

10.Update on measures taken to improve the situation of Palestinian refugees, including changes to policies and legislation that have a discriminatory effect on the Palestinian population, and the impact of these measures (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 32; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 166–174).

11.Information on measures taken to lift the restrictions under which refugees are allowed to work only in certain sectors (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 34; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 175–178).

12.Information on the implementation and impact of the measures for ensuring equal access to education for all children, irrespective of their nationality or immigration status (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 36; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 179–193).

13.Information on measures for ensuring that freedom of movement is not restricted on the basis of nationality or other grounds prohibited by the Convention, and on the effective oversight of decisions to restrict freedom of movement (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 38; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, para. 194).

14.Measures taken to ensure equal treatment before the tribunals, including the rescindment of the requirement for foreign nationals who file complaints with the Lebanese criminal courts to pay an additional surety (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 40; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 195–196).

15.Update on the implementation and impact of the measures to protect migrant domestic workers from abuse and exploitation; update on the adoption and content of the bill drafted by the Ministry of Labour on decent work for domestic workers (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 42; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, paras. 197–209).

Human rights education to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

16.Information on progress made with respect to coordination between ministries in order to strengthen educational efforts aimed at combating racial discrimination and expand their reach to the general public (CERD/C/LBN/CO/18-22, para. 45; CERD/C/LBN/23-24, para. 211).