Norge opp til eksamen i rasediskriminering

Norge har vært oppe til eksamen i Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Norges rapport til FNs Generalsekretær om utrydding av rasediskriminering ble behandlet 21-22.02.2011. De aller fleste forholdene som tas opp rapportering og diskusjon gjelder innenlandske forhold. I år ble det også satt fokus på urfolkshensyn i norske bedrifters u-landsaktiviteter.

Hvorfor rapportering?
Norge ratifiserte the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 05.09.1970.

Konvensjonens artikkel 8 opprettet en komité på 18 eksperter: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - CERD. Komiteen er underlagt FNs høykommisær for menneskerettigheter - OHCHR.

Konvensjonen artikkel 9 sier at States Parties shall undertake to submit to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, for consideration by the Committee, a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted and which give effect to the provisions of this Convention.

Rapport skal avgis annenhvert år; i tillegg kan andre organisasjoner presentere rapporter til komitéen.

Urfolkshensyn
Til denne behandlingen ble det også lagt fram en rapport med tittel:

Norway’s responsibility to ensure respect indigenous peoples rights overseas in the context of its investment and transnational corporate activity impacting on them.

Eksempler ble presentert fra Filippinene, Canada, Chile, Burma, Russland og Alaska, Brasil og Amazonas, og Laos og Mekong-bassenget. Rapporten kan leses her (pdf).

Temaet ble tatt opp i diskusjonene på møtet; det framgår av notater fra møtet, se:

• Questions Raised by the Rapporteur and Experts, avsnitt 9
• Response by Delegation, avsnitt 8.

Det ble kommentert fra Norsk side i dette avsnittet at:

Norway attached great importance to the promotion of international standards on business and human rights and it had a leading role in establishing the mandate of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on business and human rights. Norway would lead the work in the Human Rights Council to take action on these principles and it was the State’s aim that the guiding principles be given a strong endorsement by the Council.

CERD sin anbefaling til Norge: relevante lovmessige og administrative tiltak
Komiteens observasjoner etter møtet uttrykte likevel ev viss bekymring (jf. avsnitt 17) og en kom med en klar anbefaling:

17. The Committee is concerned about the effects on indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups in territories outside Norway, including impact on their way of life and on the environment, of the activities by transnational corporations domiciled in the territory and/or under the jurisdiction of Norway.

In light of its general recommendation 23 (1997) on the rights of indigenous
peoples, the Committee recommends that the State party take appropriate legislative
or administrative measures to ensure that the activities of transnational corporations
domiciled in the territory and/or under the jurisdiction of Norway do not have a
negative impact on the enjoyment of rights of indigenous peoples and other ethnic
groups, in territories outside Norway. In particular, the State party should explore
ways to hold transnational corporations domiciled in the territory and/or under the
jurisdiction of Norway accountable for any adverse impacts on the rights of
indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups, in conformity with the principles of social
responsibility and the ethics code of corporations.

Skrevet av Håkon Fottland