A/HRC/28/81
addressed. Early warning efforts had highlighted the need for amended legal provisions.
New bills on migration and refugees had been adopted. The challenge was translating those
legal norms into practice.
36.
The representative of Italy highlighted the strong principles contained in the Italian
Constitution, which applied European Union directives that created obligations. Institutions
such as the National Office against Racial Discrimination were entrusted with protecting
victims; access by victims to the Office’s website was easy and there was a 24-hour phone
line. He acknowledged that additional resources were needed. Referring to question 2 (vi)
of the questionnaire on article 14 of the Convention, he said that there was no information
concerning how many States had accepted article 14. He highlighted the large number of
reports overdue for submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination as a serious issue, stating that many countries had never submitted a report,
or were very overdue in doing so.
37.
The Chairperson-Rapporteur confirmed that the large number of reports overdue to
all treaty bodies was a general problem, which had been acknowledged during the universal
periodic review process. Some countries did not have the resources to submit reports.
38.
The representative of Egypt indicated that Egypt was a “compatible and consistent
society” in terms of race and religion, and that there were no problems with minorities in
terms of racial discrimination in its latest Constitution. All citizens were equal, and
everyone was equal before the law. There was no xenophobia nationally and citizens
considered themselves Egyptians, although they might have another origin. The National
Council for Human Rights was an independent body that dealt with all issues of human
rights and received complaints from victims. It had the required resources. The National
Council referred complaints to judicial authorities and to the courts, and facilitated access
to the judicial process.
39.
The representative of Uruguay said that Uruguay had ratified the Convention. In
addition to the Constitution, there were a series of specific laws on issues related to
discrimination, for example, on migrants, including the rights of migrants, family
reunification and non-discrimination on any grounds. A rapid response programme had
been set up by the migration authorities, allowing them to issue identity documents within
48 hours. In 2004, a law on racial discrimination had been adopted and a commission on
racism and discrimination had been created to implement the law. There were also policies
to prevent discrimination. The commission had introduced a draft bill to the parliament on a
quota for people of African descent, which had been adopted. During the universal periodic
review of Uruguay the Government had committed itself to drafting a plan of action against
racial discrimination; it was in the second phase, focusing on the drafting of the plan.
40.
The representative of South Africa highlighted the fact that the 1996 Constitution
recognized the injustices of the country’s past, focused on a nation united in its diversity,
and was aimed at creating racial harmony. Chapter 9 of the Constitution had established the
Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and
Linguistic Communities. In 2002, the country had hosted the African Union Summit to
strengthen the cohesion of African people. In 2012 it had hosted the Global African
Diaspora Summit, which had given concrete meaning to the concept of “one family”. South
Africa also played an important role in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD).
41.
The representative of Algeria stated that the country’s Constitution addressed racial
discrimination, and that there were laws that gave effect to the principle of nondiscrimination. Article 29 of the Constitution banned any discrimination; all codes,
including the criminal and electoral codes, prohibited discrimination. He emphasized the
importance of equality of persons, and said that particular attention was paid to issues
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