Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Eighty- session

13 February – 9 March 2012

Implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

List of themes to be taken up in connection with the consideration of the twelfth to fourteenth periodic reports of Portugal (CERD/C/PRT/12-14)

The following is a list of themes identified by the Country Rapporteur in connection with the consideration of the twelfth to fourteenth periodic reports of Portugal. The list is meant to guide the dialogue between the State party delegation and the Committee and does not require written replies. This is not an exhaustive list as other issues will be raised in the course of the dialogue.

1.Equality and challenges encountered by certain groups, including non-citizens and visible minorities, in the exercise of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights (arts. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7).

(a)General awareness of Portugal as a multicultural society and measures to facilitate integration (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, pars. 26, 53-55);

(b)Data and information regarding discrimination allowing for a detailed and/or comprehensive assessment of discrimination in Portugal. Progress in the monitoring of the ethnic composition of the population (CERD/C/65/CO/6, para. 8) or, in its absence, a qualitative description of the ethnic composition of the population (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, par. 1, footnote 2);

(c)Impact of the education and training opportunities targeted towards law enforcement officials to end any discriminatory conduct, racist stereotypes and prejudice towards individuals of foreign origin and visible minorities (CERD/C/65/CO/6, para. 10 and CERD/C/PRT/12-14 paras. 112-121; 231)l;

(d)Racial stereotypes and prejudices against immigrants, Brazilians in particular, as well as against other visible minorities including Chinese and Sub-Saharan African minorities (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 239);

(e)The role of the media and the dissemination of messages to combat racial stereotypes and prejudices and to promote cultural diversity and tolerance (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, pars. 194-197);

(f)Innovative measures by the State party to prevent and address racial discrimination of less favoured communities, including the professionalization and impact of socio-cultural mediators, especially away from urban centres (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 48);

(g)Implementation of the Portuguese Immigrants’ Integration Plan to respond to housing needs (CERD/C/65/CO/6, para. 12 and CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 177);

(h)State mechanisms to prevent and combat racial discrimination in access to justice, education, and employment of immigrants, ethnic and religious minorities or asylum seekers and refugees (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 199 ff.).

2.Legislation and availability of remedies in cases of racial discrimination (arts. 4 and 6)

(a)Cases of racial discrimination initiated, processed, completed or suspended under relevant legislation, in particular article 240 of the Criminal Code (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 88) and measures for law enforcement officials to consider the racist aspect of an offence;

(b)Measures taken to improve legal remedies for the protection of victims of racial discrimination (CERD/C/PRT/12-14, para. 105 ff.).

3.Situation of Roma communities (arts. 2, 5 and 7)

(a)Elimination of racial discrimination of Roma including through special measures (CERD/C/65/CO/6, para. 13);

(b)Enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the Roma population, while respecting their culture, particularly in the areas of housing, health, education, and participation in public life (CERD/C/65/CO/6, par. 13);

(c)Training programmes and other measures by the State party to increase the employability of members of Roma communities and address racial discrimination in access to the labour market;

(d)Impact of public awareness campaigns on the subject of discrimination of Roma communities.