Geneva: The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is set to host a hybrid press conference on August 23 to unveil its review findings concerning racial discrimination practices in Pakistan, along with Venezuela, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, Iraq, and Belarus.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee’s current session in Geneva included a public dialogue with representatives from these countries. The Committee praised Pakistan for the “A” status recently awarded to its National Human Rights Commission. However, concerns were raised about the treatment of ethnic minorities, including the arrest of five Ahmadiyya community members under blasphemy charges in January 2023. The session also covered the contentious plan concerning the phased repatriation of Afghan nationals.
Regional media from Pakistan are invited to attend remotely. Interested journalists need to register with Bishal Bhattarai at bishal.bhattarai@un.org by August 21.