The Convention

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is the earliest and most widely ratified United Nations human rights treaty.

When a state ratifies the Convention it is legally bound :

Not to engage in any act or practice of racial discrimination against individuals, groups of persons or institutions, and to ensure that public authorities and institutions do likewise;

Not to sponsor, defend or support racial discrimination by persons or organisations;

To review government, national and local policies and to amend or repeal laws and regulations which create or perpetuate racial discrimination;

To prohibit and put a stop to racial discrimination by persons, groups and organisations;

To encourage integrationist or multiracial organizations and movements and other means of eliminating barriers between races.

Every country which has ratified the Convention undertakes to make a wide-ranging report to CERD at regular intervals on action taken to implement the Convention and on the problems it has met in fulfilling its treaty obligations. Unfortunately, many countries fail to present their reports in time. When a country is overdue in reporting, the Committee examines its most recent report.