ICERD Member Spotlight: Russian Federation

The Russian Federation signed the ICERD in 1969, the year it was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

BI-ANNUAL REPORTING

Members submit reports every two years. As of 2003, the Russian Federation submitted 17 periodic reports. The Committee reviewed reports due March 1998, 2000, and 20002, in March of 2003. The Committee recommended submission of the eighteenth and nineteenth reports jointly in March, 2006.

NOTABLE PROGRESS...

The Committee's 2003 Concluding Observations noted several areas of progress including:

• "entry into force of the Labour Code, and in particular the provisions aiming at the eradication of discrimination in labour relations."
• "concrete measures taken by the State party against extreme nationalist and racist organizations."
• "a special federal programme entitled "Shaping an attitude of tolerance and preventing extremism in Russian society, 2001 - 2005."
• "a number of laws that aim at protecting the rights of indigenous peoples."
• "assurances given by the delegration of the State party that displaced persons from Chechnya living in neighbouring regions will be allowed to vote in the referendum in Chechnya on a new constitution."

...BUT STILL A LOT TO BE DONE

Concerns identified by the Committee in 2003 mirror observations made by Memorial Human Rights Center and include:

• The absence of relevant laws that explicitly prohibit "racial discrimination as defined in article 1 of the Convetion."
• "a large number of former Soviet citizens who previously resided legally in the Russian Federation have been considered illegal immigrants."
• "reports of racially selective inspections and identity checks targeting members of specific minorities, including those from the Caucasus and Central Asia and Roma."
• "reports that residence registration is used as a means of discriminating against certain ethnic groups, and that the lack of residence registration is used to deny a number of political, economic and social rights."
• "reports that members of particular groups, notably Chechens, are singled out by law enforcement officials."
• "reports that racist materials targeting minority groups and perpetuating negative stereotypes are disseminated in the national media."
• "the incidence of violent racist attacks against ethnic minorities by, among others, skinheads and neo-Nazis."