The eighth session of the Forum took place on 24 and 25 November 2015 in Room XX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr Joshua Castellino was appointed as Chair of the session, which focussed on "Minorities in the criminal justice system".

Over 500 participants took part in this eighth session of the Forum, including United Nations Member States and specialized agencies, intergovernmental and regional organizations, human rights treaty bodies, national human rights institutions, academics and experts, as well as civil society actors working on minority issues.

In addition to this wide range of stakeholders, this session brought together persons belonging to national, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities who are actively engaged in minority rights advocacy and diverse areas of work related to the protection and promotion of the rights of minorities, as well as experts in the field of criminal justice.

Outcome documents

• Summary of the proceedings of the 8th session of the Forum on Minority issues by the Chair for the Forum
• Recommendations of the eighth session of the Forum on Minority Issues on "Minorities and the criminal justice system" (A/HRC/31/72)

Further information

• Provisional Agenda for the Forum (A/HRC/FMI/2015/1)
• Draft recommendations (A/HRC/FMI/2015/2)
• Programme of work (E)
• List of participants
• Report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák - Minorities in the criminal justice system (A/70/212)
• Minorities in the Criminal Justice System, Contribution of the United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to the Eighth session of the Forum on Minority Issues

OHCHR Side Event on Minority Rights Protection in the UN System: Looking back and looking ahead – A Forum for the Future, 25 November 2015

Oral Statements

I. Opening meeting

• Statement by the President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Joachim Rücker
• Statement by the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Flavia Pansieri
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Ms Rita Izsák
• Remarks by the Chair of the Forum on Minority Issues, Mr Joshua Castellino

II. Legal framework and key concepts

Assigned Speakers

• Ms Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
• Mr Régis de Gouttes, Premier Avocat Général honoraire à la Cour de Cassation, Former member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
• Ms Gay McDougall, Former Independent expert on minority issues and member-elect of CERD.
• Mr Asbjørn Eide, Senior fellow of the Norwegian Center for Human Rights and former Chairman of the UN Working Group on Minorities
• Mr Henrik Villadsen, Director, Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, OSCE

Participants

• European Union of Coptic Org HR
• United Copts of Great Britain
• Defence for Children International – Terres des Hommes
• Institute for Youth Development, Kyrgyzstan
• Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist and Christians Unity Council - Europe
• Mexico
• Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan of Iran - Geneva
• Lithuania
• National Dalit Movement for Justice - NCDHR
• Colombia
• Stitching Ezidis Charity Association Nederland
• Kurdocide Watch-CHAK
• Hazara United Movement (HUM)

III. 15:00--18:00: Minorities and the exercise of police powers

Assigned Speakers

• Mr György Makula, Deputy head of Communication Service of National Police Headquarters, Hungary and Chairman of Fraternal Association of European Roma Law Enforcement Officers
• Ms Jennifer Robinson, Lawyer at Bertha Foundation
• Ms Nimalka Fernando President, The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)
• Mr John Lamberth, Phd, President of Lamberth Consulting

Participants

• Freedom Front Plus South Africa
• Ogaden Youth and Students Union
• Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l’Homme
• AHRAZ – Association for the Human Rights of the people in Iran
• Direction Aux Affaires Savoisiennes
• Association des Nations de l’Hexagone
• Association ARC pour la défense des droits de l’homme du peuple Azerbaïdjan
• Nationalities Unities and Progress Association of China
• Fokus Women
• Attorney Team for Victims of Illegal Investigation against Muslims
• Corporation Afro-Cristian para la Investigacion y DH
• YASA (Kurdish Center for Studies and Legal Consultancies)
• Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace
• Sudanese Human Rights Activist Expert
• Swedish Achehnese Association
• National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
• Yezidy Minority
• Support Nepal
• Minority Rights Group International
• Legal Clinic Network
• World Uyghur Congress
• African Rights Monitor
• Council Popular of Chaldean Syriac Assyrians
• Association for the Defense of Ahlubayt Rights
• Association de Lutte Contre La Dependance
• Comitato per il Censimento Internazionale del Popolo Veneto
• Ahwaz Human Rights Organization
• Social Action Center – No Borders Project
• China
• Bangladesh, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council Europe

IV. Challenges of criminal justice systems in addressing the needs and demands of minorities

Assigned Speakers

• Mr André Salvador Bezerra, President of Associação dos Juízes para a Democracia (Judges Association for Democracy), Brazil
• Ms Taghreed Jaber, Regional Director Middle East & North Africa Office, Penal Reform International
• Mr. András László Pap, Professor of Law, Hungarian Academic of Sciences and former Rapporteur for the European parliament on ethnicity and race based profiling in counter-terrorism law enforcement and border control
• Ms Durga Sob, Feminist Dalit Organization, Nepal
• Ms Salimata Lam, Programme Coordinator at SOS-Esclave, Mauritania

Participants

• Anti-discrimination Centre Memorial/Center for Civil Liberties
• AfriForum
• Zakir Amanbaev
• China
• Youth Organization of Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Moldova
• Quaker United Nations Office
• Unrepresented Nations and People Organisation (UNPO)
• Sinjar Foundation for Human Development
• Public Defender of Georgia
• Nuba Mountain Peoples Foundation
• Baha’i International Community
• Suham Vacek
• Croatia
• ABTTF – Federation of Western Thrace Turcs in Europe
• Austria
• Norway
• Penal reform International
• USA
• Universala Esperanto-Asocio (UEA)
• Acheh Sumatra National Liberation Front
• Association pour la Promotion de la Francophonie en Flandre (APFF)
• Canada
• Arab Center for Research and Studies
• Autistic Minority International
• Mauritania
• Indonesia National Commission on Violence against Women
• Sawra for Human Rights
• European Union
• Nourredine Bessadi
• Faycel Didi
• Abdelmalek Joubair Elidrissi Iammari
• Gabooye Minority Organisation Europe and North America
• Russian Federation
• Mexico

V.  Addressing the root causes of discrimination in the administration of justice

Assigned speakers

• M. Mutuma Ruteree, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
• Ms Louise Finer, Senior Policy Officer and National Preventive Mechanism Coordinator, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales
• Mr Francis Kpatindé, Journalist and Maître de conférences à l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (SciencesPo.)
• Mr Kadayam S. Subramanian, Journalist, Former Director General of Police for Tripura State, India.

Participants

• Nareen Shammo
• Greece
• Navsarjan Trust
• Italy
• Salam For Democracy and Human Rights
• Pakistan
• Secular Bangladesh Movement
• Ogaden People’s Rights
• Kurdish Committee for Human Rights
• Ilays Media
• Organization for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV)
• Serbia
• Legal Information Centre for Human Rights
• Brazil
• Center for Research and Protection of Fundamental Rights
• Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
• Harikar NGO
• US Human Rights Network
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Indonesia
• Civil Centre for Peace, Justice and Development (CCPJD)
• Hazara United Movement
• Council Popular of Chaldean Syriac Assyrian
• Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights
• Stitching Ezidis Charity Association Nederland
• Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l’Homme
• Elono Veliu
• Ahwaz Human Rights Organization
• Ethiopia

VI. Concluding remarks by the Chairperson of the Forum on Minority Issues and the Special Rapporteur on minority issues.

• Chairperson of the Forum on Minority Issues, Mr Joshua Castellino
• Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Ms Rita Izsak