August 9, 2010
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to Consider Reports from the Government, NGOs at Romania's Review Session
Since their creation, the eight United Nations human rights treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), have evolved from organizations dedicated to monitoring governments' compliance with the spirit of the aspirational provisions contained in the treaties into ones that, with the help of international, non-governmental, and civil society organizations, attempt to enforce at the national level the human rights expressed in those treaties while sidestepping democratic processes. In short, the treaty bodies, their New York and Geneva-based staff housed in the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ("UNOHCHR"), and the United Nations national offices are attempting to globally govern social and cultural rights. The 77th Session of CERD is taking place August 2-27 in Geneva. On Monday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 10, the Committee will review the report submitted by Romania detailing the extent to which the Romanian government has implemented the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination at the national level. In addition to reviewing the governmental report, the Committee will consider “shadow reports” submitted by non-governmental organizations which criticize actions taken by Romania in regards to the Roma people and the Hungarian national community in the country and offer recommendations for change in Romania’s laws and public policies. To access the reports and other documents pertaining to Romania's review session, click here.
A JOINT PROGRAM OF
