At the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024 side event, titled “Good Practices and Challenges in the 2030 Agenda – Showcasing Ongoing Inclusive Strategies of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent,” ambassadors and permanent representatives from Canada, Spain, Colombia, North Macedonia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with a representative from UN Women, highlighted the critical importance of addressing Discrimination based on Work and Descent (DWD) in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD), numbering close to 270 million people globally, are known by various names depending on their region and language. These include the Dalits and Burakumin in Asia, the “slave caste,” Osu, Haratin, and others in Africa, the Quilombola and Pelanque in Latin America, and the Roma in Europe.
DWD refers to any form of distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on inherited status, including caste, ancestral occupation, family, community, social origin, name, birthplace, place of residence, dialect, and accent. Such discrimination undermines the recognition and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal footing across political, economic, social, cultural, and other public life fields. This type of discrimination is often linked to notions of purity and pollution and the practice of untouchability, deeply ingrained in societies and cultures where it is prevalent.
During the event, representatives from UN member states supported the formation of an informal working group as a crucial step towards a UN resolution. Leading the support for this approach, H.E. Robert Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN, stated, “I can assure you that we will continue to talk about these issues and figure out how we can create this informal discussion at the UN in New York. I know there are some discussions about it in Geneva but it is something we need to talk about more and more.”
H.E. Mr. Ljubomir Danailov Frchkoski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of North Macedonia to the UN, emphasized several good practices and reform measures that, if adopted at national and regional levels, could help meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for CDWD. “There are no excuses for countries not to adapt good practices on the ground [in spite of their different legal and political systems] which can fulfil the transition period from the status quo to the real deep law reform which we are all waiting for… but in this transition period, effective improvement of this situation can be done… and there is no excuse to skip,” he said.
Ms. Anita Paudel highlighted good practices implemented by the Government of Nepal, such as constitutional provisions prohibiting untouchability and discrimination based on caste and affirmative action policies to uplift Dalits. Ms. Paula Fernandez-Wuff outlined measures taken by Spain to address anti-Roma sentiment, including strong legislation in the criminal code, a national Roma integration strategy, and the appointment of a commission for memory and reconciliation to acknowledge and repair historical harm.
Mr. Gustavo Bolívar emphasized the role of education and the integration of a gender perspective into government programs to address social castes, stating, “The first step to end discrimination is education.” Despite national-level measures, panellists underscored the need for deeper long-term reform to address the structural issues faced by CDWD, including establishing group-specific norms in international human rights frameworks. Queen Bisseng, Africa Coordinator, GFoD, stated, “What we are asking for is a UN Resolution on the Rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent.”
Current international human rights frameworks do not adequately address the unique discrimination experienced by CDWD. Stakeholders and civil society advocate for group-specific norms at the global level to recognise the commonality of their discrimination, address unique challenges, and guarantee their human rights protection. These norms can set best practice standards for implementation at both global and national levels, ensuring a human rights-based approach to socio-economic inclusion, including achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Marie-Elena John of UN Women praised the efforts and aspirations of CDWD to unite and recognise their commonalities despite geographical, linguistic, and cultural differences. “What unites them is the recognition that their strength will come from their global unity; hence their focus and recognition of the role of the UN in their quest to be recognized collectively,” she said.
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Paul Divakar, Convenor of GFoD, called for recognition beyond discrimination, acknowledging the contributions of CDWD to global development. “We are spread across the world, but what we are doing today is reuniting ourselves to say, we will not allow this form of discrimination to continue. This is a creative challenge and an opportunity that we are demanding from the global community, to recognise that we are no lesser human beings; we too have contributed to making this world what it is today in terms of development in all its forms,” he said.
While the terms and membership of the informal working group are under consideration, a key objective will be exploring the scope and rationale for establishing a UN Declaration on the Rights of CDWD. H.E. Mohan Pieris, Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, endorsed the need for an informal working group and stressed moving from rhetoric to practice: “The need for a resolution, the need for a declaration, a need for an open-ended working group… is the need of the hour. Because it is only then… if we actively, proactively, address these issues, that we can probably come back next year and say things are a little better.”
GFoD acknowledges all parties for their endorsement and calls upon other UN member states to join the informal working group to advance the rights of CDWD.
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