A/HRC/34/59 impairment often cannot be completely corrected. In addition, one of the most serious health implications of albinism is vulnerability to skin cancer, which remains a lifethreatening condition for most persons with albinism. All human rights issues relating to albinism reported to date — attacks, mutilation and trafficking of body parts, among others — have been linked to its oculocutaneous form, which is also the most visible type of albinism. 17. In the international human rights framework, persons with albinism have normative protection in the International Bill of Rights covering all their fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, security, the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and an adequate standard of living. Further protection can be found in specific instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which proscribes “racial discrimination” based on colour. B. Delineation, conceptualization and impact of witchcraft on the human rights of persons with albinism What is witchcraft? 18. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in a 2009 report (A/HRC/11/2), stated that witchcraft “has not featured prominently on the radar screen of human rights monitors” and that “this may be due partly to the difficulty of defining ‘witches’ and ‘witchcraft’ across cultures — terms that, quite apart from their connotations in popular culture, may include an array of traditional or faith healing practices that are not easily defined”. 19. The phenomena have many connotations and are subject to many interpretations, such that objective definitions are unsatisfactory; “[the] real meaning derives from relationships, shared experiences and individual feelings”. Consequently the “meanings … are so varied because the concept is so versatile”. 6 20. In a 2011 report, HelpAge International reviewed legislation adopted to address accusations of witchcraft and related violence in nine countries and came to similar conclusions.7 One of the key findings of the study was the difficulty, both nationally and regionally, encountered by these countries in defining witchcraft. 21. According to a study undertaken by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the French notion of “sorcery” and the English notion of “witchcraft” were introduced to Africa by the first Europeans explorers, colonialists and missionaries and, strongly influenced by European history, were pejorative. These concepts were employed to translate the terms used in vernacular languages for local realities. The notion of witchcraft, as used in the present report, therefore refers to multiple concepts covered by a variety of different terms referring to various phenomena whose interpretation relies on their context. It is nevertheless generally agreed that in all cultural contexts, witchcraft refers to negative occult or mystical forces,8 although it has been — albeit less frequently — associated with positive connotations such as empowerment and cleansing. 6 7 8 6 Malcolm Gaskill, Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2010). Using the Law to Tackle Accusations of Witchcraft: HelpAge International’s Position (London, 2011). The publication covers Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Children Accused of Witchcraft: An Anthropological Study of Contemporary Practices in Africa (Dakar, 2010). Available from