Submission of 10th-12th periodic state report to UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination places an onus on UN member states who are party to the Convention ‘to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races’. Ireland signed the Convention in 1968. Following the enactment of the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000, the Convention was ratified by Dáil resolution in December 2000 and entered in to force in January 2001.

Under Article 9 of the Convention, State Parties are required to submit periodic reports to the UN on the legislative, judicial, administrative and other individual measures which have been adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. Ireland submitted its First National Report in March 2004. Since then, Ireland has submitted periodic reports, and follow up information as requested by the Committee.

In line with these requirements, Ireland has submitted its combined tenth to twelfth periodic state report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, with all relevant Government Departments and public bodies providing input to the State Report. A targeted stakeholder consultation took place to inform the drafting of the State Report, which brought together representatives from civil society groups and experts in anti-racism and issues related to Ireland’s implementation of the Convention.

The State Report seeks to present a holistic view of Irelands current progress in implementing the Convention, and will be examined by the Committee in due course. The report will form the basis of an oral review, with civil society organisations with an interest in the issues addressed expected to submit shadow reports in advance of the review and attend the oral review.