International Obligations

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The Government plays an active and constructive part in efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination at the European and international level, in particular through the European Union, Council of Europe and the United Nations.

European Union

The Government strongly supports efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination in the European Union and supports the EU’s main anti-racism body, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC).

Council of Europe

The Government supports the Council’s main anti-racism body, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).

The Government has signed and ratified the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and submitted its first report under the Framework Convention in 1999. Further details of the Framework Convention are available on the Advisory Committee’s website

Report to the Advisory Committee on the Protection of National Minorities (PDF file size 443kb)

United Nations

The government submitted its 16th report under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination in 2002. Full details of the work of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination can be found on their website.

Government’s 16th report to CERD (PDF file size 296kb)