Source: European Parliament
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination[1] (ICERD) by its state parties.
The Committee issued on 21 December 2023 its concluding observations[2] on the combined 23rd to 26th reports of Germany, as state party to the ICERD.
The Committee subsequently published on 11 December 2024 the information received from Germany[3] on follow-up to CERD concluding observations.
This process is in line with the reporting obligations of state parties; states that have ratified the ICERD are required to submit regular reports to the Committee, detailing the progress in upholding the rights described in the Convention and measures taken to implement it.
CERD examines these reports and issues recommendations on the implementation of the ICERD in that state — including in the area of education as per Article 7 of the ICERD: ‘States Parties undertake to adopt immediate and effective measures, particularly in the fields of teaching, education, culture and information, with a view to combating prejudices which lead to racial discrimination’.
The EU remains a staunch supporter of the United Nations (UN) human rights system, including the independence of the treaty bodies responsible for monitoring the implementation of human rights treaties, as well as their independent mandate.
Council Conclusions on EU Priorities in UN Human Rights Fora in 2024[4] reaffirmed that the EU ‘will continue calling on all states to fully engage with the UN human rights system, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, such as the Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review, UN-mandated investigative bodies and the Treaty Bodies’.
- [1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-convention-elimination-all-forms-racial
- [2] https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4033353?v=pdf
- [3] https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/226/22/pdf/g2422622.pdf
- [4] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-5311-2024-INIT/en/pdf