CSW Oral statement on Minority Rights

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

UN Human Rights Council, 37th Session (26 February – 23 March 2018)

Agenda Item 3: ID with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues

Speaker:Claire Denman

Thank you Mr President.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s report and his vision for the mandate. CSW supports the Special Rapporteur’s calls for concerted, collective and determined action to tackle violations pertaining to the rights of minorities.

CSW further welcomes the inclusion of education, and issues surrounding access to quality education for minorities without discrimination, as a thematic priority for the mandate. Consequently, CSW wishes to draw the Council’s attention to the issue of discrimination *on the basis of religion or belief in educational settings.

For example, in Pakistan children from minority faith communities are regularly subjected to psychological and physical abuse by fellow students and teachers; Christian children from Chin State in Burma are enticed into government run Buddhist monastic schools by promises of education, where they are prohibited from practicing their faith and experience forcible conversion, and Baha’i children in Iran find their access to education blocked by state policies.

The violation of freedom of religion or belief in an educational setting is a serious issue which must be addressed effectively. CSW urges Member States to demonstrate political commitment and leadership by respecting freedom of religion or belief and ensuring the right to education without discrimination. CSW also calls on

Member States to ratify and implementation all relevant international treaties, to proactively address intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief in educational settings, and to guarantee respect for any existing constitutional or national provisions relating to these rights.

Thank you.