Latest

23 December 2024

Human Rights Organizations: Right to Return for North Sinai Residents is Fundamental, and Military Trials are invalid

These policies continue to disregard human rights, first and foremost the right to return to their lands.

12 December 2024

DRC: Provincial Decree may legitimize violence against the Batwa Indigenous Peoples

We fear that this order’s indiscriminate prohibition of all individuals will be used to legitimate violence against Batwa.

29 November 2024

Stories of Solastalgia: Book Launch

We explore how political decisions and environmental policies often labelled as 'protection' or 'development' measures impact the…

21 November 2024

Joint statement: It’s time for the OECD to walk the talk on human rights

The OECD’s reforms would widen racial and gender inequality both between and among countries.

13 November 2024

The difference between life and death: indigenous maternal mortality

Tackling these ethnic disparities in maternal mortality is critically important for indigenous and minority communities.

11 November 2024

Strengthening Moroccan Civil Society

These diverse participants share a common commitment: advocating for human rights, minority protections, and a more inclusive civic space…

6 November 2024

MRG and 37 organizations call for Lammy to clarify his government’s understanding of genocide

This appears to be a dangerously misguided understanding of the crime that introduces a numerical threshold into the definition of genocide.

6 November 2024

Violations in Lebanon must urgently be investigated

The human rights and humanitarian situations in Lebanon are spiraling out of control.

24 October 2024

Justice served: The Batwa of Kahuzi-Biega and the failure of fortress conservation

The story of the Batwa of Kahuzi-Biega is an archetypical example of the ‘fortress conservation’ model.

18 October 2024

Advocating for Migrant Communities in Morocco

CCSM is working to promote the social and political rights of minoritized migrants.

11 October 2024

DRC: respect and protect Batwa!

Members of the Batwa have been facing severe persecution, displacement and violence by both state agents and park eco-guards.

10 October 2024

Türkiye: stop harassing Diyarbakir arrestees and protect Kurdish cultural expression

These arrests are but the latest in a long history of the abuse of the criminal justice system to persecute legitimate and protected…

1 October 2024

Discrimination, disability and disaggregated data

Indigenous women and girls with disabilities face intersecting forms of discrimination and unique forms of violence.

25 September 2024

MRG condemns Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, demands accountability

All people in the Middle East have the right to live in peace. It is the international community’s obligation to ensure this right is…

24 September 2024

Bangladesh: MRG condemns renewed violence and hate speech against indigenous peoples

Minority Rights Group is deeply concerned over recent reports of attacks against the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts…

24 September 2024

Determined to liberate myself: An interview with Sylvia Kokunda

Our voices, when raised together as a community, can address the injustices we face.

13 September 2024

Batwa community statement on Kahuzi-Biega national park violations

Today, the Batwa community of Kahuzi-Biega have gathered to celebrate the historic judgment that the DRC government violated their rights…

9 August 2024

Sign languages are minority languages!

In order to truly ‘Leave No One Behind’ our social movements must forge ties and build solidarities that centre those experiencing…

6 August 2024

UK: MRG condemns race riots and urges broad accountability

Minority Rights Group gravely condemns this horrifying violence, which must be called what it is, racism and Islamophobia – not protest.

29 July 2024

DRC: Respecting indigenous peoples’ rights ruled key in fighting climate crisis

The ruling recognizes Batwa as the best guardians of biodiversity and calls for their return to their land.

19 July 2024

How can the media be truly inclusive?

It's time for the media industry to move beyond discussion and start implementing solutions for meaningful inclusion and decolonisation.

15 July 2024

Uzbekistan: International human rights organizations call on President Mirziyoyev to veto ‘undesirable’ foreigners law

The legal status of foreign citizens and stateless individuals is at risk in Uzbekistan.

9 July 2024

Bangladesh: Protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Chittagong Hill Tracts

A worrying review process could undermine the rights of the country's Adivasi indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.

5 July 2024

UK elections: 7 minority rights priorities for Starmer’s Labour government

After the Labour party's landslide victory in the UK elections, it now must step up for minorities in Britain and abroad.

19 June 2024

Joint NGO letter on the EU’s macro-financial assistance to Egypt and human rights

MRG joined other organizations in calling on the European Union to ensure that macro-financial assistance to Egypt remains conditional to…

24 May 2024

Protecting Ancestral Lands: MRG’s Plea for Sengwer and Ogiek Rights at ACHPR

This statement highlights the forced evictions faced by these communities and calls for respect for their ancestral land rights.

16 May 2024

Kenyan government must stop Sengwer evictions and restore land rights

The Kenyan government must respect the rights of Sengwer to live on, manage and own their ancestral lands.

15 May 2024

Mauritanian Elections 2024: the minority lens

Mauritania is a country of profound ethnic divisions, ranking as the worst place in the world for slavery.

9 May 2024

Uganda’s missing minorities

While the missing communities will be counted up in the census, they are still living in a state that tells them they don’t count.

30 April 2024

Lebanon must address surge in violence against Syrian refugees

Minority Rights Group strongly condemns an unprecedented surge in violence targeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

29 April 2024

Unveiling Discrimination: Minorities in Türkiye

This report argues that discrimination against minorities in Türkiye is a structural problem grounded on Turkish nationalism.

22 April 2024

Revving up for another year: Empowering grassroots initiatives

The MARIO programme supports grassroots civil society organizations in EU countries operating in challenging environments.

19 April 2024

MRG submits a report on the human rights situation of children in Egypt

This submission provides information on children's rights from religious and ethnic minorities in Egypt.

16 April 2024

MRG and partners in Brazil submit a report on women and girls with disabilities and women caregivers from Black and indigenous communities

This alternative report highlights the issues faced by Brazilian Black and indigenous women and girls with disabilities and family…

15 April 2024

Enhancing grassroots organizational resilience in a shrinking civic space

Grassroots civil society organizations in the MENA region are excluded from high-level policy spaces and lack sufficient skills to…

5 April 2024

The world ending before us: remembering 1994

Working on minority rights is crucial because when people start dividing themselves, that's when genocide begins.

30 March 2024

Türkiye’s local elections: the minority lens

Tomorrow, millions of people in Türkiye will head to the polls and vote in local elections.

27 March 2024

MRG urges action on Batwa rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Marginalized and impoverished, DRC's Batwa suffer human rights abuses perpetrated by park guards and military forces.

26 March 2024

MRG warns against escalating violence against Bedouin communities in the West Bank

The Human Rights Council must address the escalating violence against Bedouin communities by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

22 March 2024

Empowering marginalized communities: A call for intersectional advocacy and support for minority rights defenders

MRG stands ready to collaborate with the Special Rapporteur in advancing minority rights on the international stage.

22 March 2024

Advocating for minority voices: Strengthening the UN Forum on Minority Issues

Regional minority forums can play an important role by bringing important discussions closer to local contexts.

20 March 2024

Navigating human rights challenges: India’s escalating concerns

At the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, taking place on 20 March 2024, Glenn Payot addressed the Council on the escalating…

20 March 2024

Joint appeal for UN action: Renewing mandates to address human rights crisis in Iran

On 18 March 2024, Iranian and international human rights organizations jointly addressed the Member States of the United Nations Human…

18 March 2024

Erosion of minority rights: Surveillance and shrinking civic space in Iran

Marginalization and persecution are long-term drivers of insecurity in Iran.

11 March 2024

A call for intersectional inclusion in disability rights

Focusing on intersectionality and cross-movement collaboration is crucial to addressing global issues such as climate change.

8 March 2024

MRG and partners in Brazil submit a report on Black and indigenous children with disabilities

This alternative report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) highlights the issues faced by Brazilian Black and indigenous…

29 February 2024

Criminalizing blasphemy: Implications for Egypt’s religious minorities

The Egyptian Constitution refuses to acknowledge the existence of any other religion and faith groups.

27 February 2024

Amazigh New Year in Morocco: a milestone for indigenous rights?

Last month, Amazigh across North Africa celebrated Yennayer – their new year.

22 February 2024

Advocating for indigenous people with disabilities worldwide

This key document discusses the challenges faced by indigenous people with disabilities.

21 February 2024

For the love of languages: Meeting on minority tongues in Türkiye

With many of the diverse languages in Türkiye being endangered, some severely, time is of the essence.

21 February 2024

The Malparara Way: Reflections from South Australia on Mother Language Day

Many of the world's endangered languages belong to minority and indigenous communities.

20 February 2024

MRG and 61 organizations call the UK Parliament to support ceasefire in Gaza

We cannot afford to delay any longer. Private diplomacy and cautious statements are not enough.

15 February 2024

Who can participate in the fight for minority and indigenous rights?

To change your situation, you need to know what your rights are. But the world of human rights and its complex ecosystem of reports,…

13 February 2024

Call to halt attacks on KISA: 41 organizations urge Cypriot authorities to safeguard civic space

On 5 January, a bomb attack was carried out on the offices of KISA, a leading NGO working to protect the rights of migrants and vulnerable…

9 February 2024

Government of Belize must respect Maya land rights

Minority Rights Group urges the Belizean government to respect the human and property rights of the Maya People of southern Belize and…

8 February 2024

Advancing Rights: A follow-up report on Tunisia’s human rights landscape by MRG and partners

Minority Rights Group, in partnership with the Association for the Right to Difference, Avocats Sans Frontières and Mnemty, submitted a…

27 January 2024

Memory alone is not enough

To honour the memory of the Holocaust is to translate memory into action. The complicity of states must end. Never again is now. It must be…

15 December 2023

Joint statement urging an immediate halt to Ogiek evictions in Kenya’s Mau Forest: protecting indigenous rights and biodiversity

This joint statement was signed by Amnesty International, Survival International and Minority Rights Group International. The signatory…

12 December 2023

Criminalizing Blasphemy: Implications for Iran’s Religious Minorities

On 8 May 2023, the Iranian authorities executed Yousef Mehrad and Sadrolla Fazeli Zare for blasphemy. The two men were reportedly involved…

1 December 2023

Four minority-disability activists you should know

Just days ago, MRG partners from around the world spoke at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues and advocated for change. While the…

29 November 2023

Unstable pillars of tomorrow’s Uganda: Benet children’s education woes

‘We are the pillars of tomorrow’s Uganda,’ sings a line from Uganda’s schools’ anthem. Thousands of pupils up and down the…

25 November 2023

Ending discrimination against women in Tunisia: Work in progress

For over a decade, Tunisia has been immersed in a revolutionary process. Despite the progress made since the 2011 revolution, violence and…

23 November 2023

Recognizing the rights of minorities in Türkiye – Q&A with Dr Yasemin Oral

Türkiye’s compliance with international human rights norms has worsened significantly over the past 5 years. The international community…

8 November 2023

Upcoming Trial of Congolese Warlord in France is a Historic Step Toward Justice

On 6 November, three French investigative judges indicted former Congolese warlord Roger Lumbala Tshitenga for his alleged complicity in…

4 November 2023

Kenyan government must end illegal evictions of Ogiek in Mau Forest 

The Kenyan government is yet again demonstrating a flagrant disregard for the rule of law, and it appears to be confident that it can get…

30 October 2023

MRG urges UN members to address indigenous peoples’ situation in Bangladesh during 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), The South Asia Collective and Nagorik Uddyog Citizen’s Initiative call on UN member states to…

27 October 2023

New report sheds light on anti-black racism, as well as language and land rights affecting the indigenous Amazigh people in Morocco

Minority Rights Group International, in partnership with La Voix de la Femme Amazighe and Tamaynut has submitted an alternative report to…

25 October 2023

Israel must end indefensible assault on Gaza

We reject the unconditional support of many states for the Israeli government's actions.

25 October 2023

Over 70 INGOs, including MRG, urge the UK government to secure an urgent ceasefire in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories

On 18 October 2023, 77 leaders from UK international non-governmental organizations, including MRG, united in signing a statement. This…

23 October 2023

MRG’s alternative report examines the Ugandan government’s adherence to its obligations

Minority Rights Group International, in partnership with the Benet Mosop Indigenous Community Association, Benet Lobby Group, Africa…

12 October 2023

MRG calls for linguistic inclusivity and minority rights in Somalia

This statement was delivered on 10 October 2023 by Shukri Abbas during the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Somalia at…

11 October 2023

Caught in the crossfire: Minority languages in Ukraine

In Ukraine, the Russian language isn’t going anywhere, for now at least. But as war wages on, the language issue looks like it will…

29 September 2023

MRG urges states to ensure full compliance of biodiversity and climate efforts with indigenous rights standards

This message was delivered on 28 September 2023 by Glenn Payot during the Interactive Dialogue with EMRIP at Human Rights Council – 54th…

27 September 2023

MRG Urges Council Action Amid Escalating Civil Society Violations in Iran Following Jina Mahsa Amini’s Anniversary

This message was delivered on 26 September 2023 by Carl Söderbergh during general debate at the 54th session of the UN Human Rights…

26 September 2023

Dismantling the legacy of slavery in Tunisia through legal work 

Cliquez ici pour lire en français By Achref Medini, previous Advocacy Officer, and Silvia Quattrini, North Africa Associate In 2020, a…

20 September 2023

Skirting around equality: 14 years after Sejdić and Finci vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Hope Otieno, Legal Fellow at Minority Rights Group Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has one of the most complicated systems of governance in…

15 September 2023

Iran’s Year of Defiance and Repression: How One Woman’s Death Sparked a Nationwide Uprising

A year ago, Mahsa Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, died in the custody of the morality police after being arrested over…

15 September 2023

MRG Urges Action to Protect Aquatic Ecosystems and Ensure Safe Drinking Water for All

This message was delivered on 14 September 2023 by Carl Söderbergh during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the…

5 September 2023

Roy v. Australia: MRG welcomes win for Wunna Nyiyaparli land rights 

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) applauds the Human Rights Committee’s (the Committee) decision of 10 July 2023, condemning…

5 September 2023

Media and minorities: Roundtables as a tool for exchange

Why is it important to create a space where media makers, media experts and human rights activists meet?

29 August 2023

Joint letter urging the US and UK governments to take urgent and coordinated action to address the escalating atrocities in Sudan.

This letter was collectively signed by over 275 civil society organisations, including Minority Rights Group International. It was written…

22 August 2023

India and Pakistan share more than a border

In both states, religious persecution and hatred have become vital tools for the concentration of power. But the violence that emerges from…

17 August 2023

Baháʼí in Lebanon: Who am I? 

انقر هنا للقراءة باللغة العربية By Hala Nouhad Nasreddine, Investigative Unit Coordinator at Daraj Media  While…

17 August 2023

MRG condemns violence against Jaranwala Christians in Pakistan

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is gravely concerned by yesterday’s violence against the Christian community of Jaranwala,…

9 August 2023

Three indigenous youth activists you should know

Today we are sharing the stories and work of three young indigenous women who are fighting for climate justice.

1 August 2023

Preliminary Conclusions: UN Forum Acknowledges People With Disabilities of African Descent in Recommendations

From the 30 May to 2 June 2023, the United Nations in New York hosted the 2nd Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent…

24 July 2023

Submission to the CRPD committee on the rights of persons with disability in Kenya

In a joint submission to the CPRD Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the 18th Pre-Sessional Working Group, MRG…

20 July 2023

MRG demands strong action in combatting racial discrimination and ensuring equal access to fundamental human rights

This message was delivered on 11 July 2023 by Glenn Payot during the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on racial…

10 July 2023

Pakistan must honour its commitment to end discrimination against religious minorities

This statement was delivered on 10 July 2023 by Asif Aqeel in the name of MRG and our partners in Pakistan – Bargad, Bytes for All…

5 July 2023

The UN Fact Finding Mission on Iran must involve minority victims of civil society repression

This statement was delivered on 5 July 2023 by Carl Söderbergh during the Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran at…

4 July 2023

Transitional justice frameworks essential in tackling displacement: MRG

This statement was delivered on 4 July 2023 by Mays Al-Juboori during the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights…

30 June 2023

Peace in action: Promoting peace through youth photography in Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces

คลิกที่นี่เพื่ออ่านหน้านี้ในภาษาไทย  The power of belief and faith…

27 June 2023

MRG calls for strong safeguards in addressing climate-induced displacement

This statement was delivered at the Human Rights Council – 53rd Session by Mays Al-Juboori, Senior Middle East Officer at Minority Rights…

21 June 2023

Joint Letter calling on HRC to establish an investigative mechanism to investigate human rights violations at international borders

This letter was signed by 194 civil society organizations and groups to the UN Human Rights Council. In the joint letter, they emphasize…

8 June 2023

Hemshins: A journey through the impact of urbanisation and migration on the loss of culture and language

‘When my daughter doesn’t speak in Hemshin with my mother, I feel ashamed. I wish they could speak in our mother…

5 June 2023

Oral Statement by Vidas Negras com Deficiência Importam at the Second session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Leia esta página em português aqui. This statement was delivered at the Second session of the Permanent Forum on People of African…

1 June 2023

Karin: The journey of a minority para-athlete

Karin is a documentary about the life of a minority para-athlete from Türkiye‘s Armenian community. Despite…

26 May 2023

Six years on: Celebration mixed with concern for the Ogiek of Mau

By Samuel Ade Ndasi, African Union Advocacy and Litigation Officer at Minority Rights Group International The Ogiek indigenous people of…

25 May 2023

Pushing for rights: Senah Deesa-eh at the UN

In November, minority activists gathered in Geneva at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues to make their voices heard. Among them…

24 May 2023

Ana: A Journey of Resilience and Resistance in Istanbul’s Alevi Community

Ana is a film about Sevim Yalıncakoğlu, a 43-year-old accountant who leads a congregation of Alevi people in Okmeydanı, an Alevi ghetto…

22 May 2023

No biodiversity action without human rights

By Stefania Carrer, Litigation & Advocacy Officer at Minority Rights Group International  After a long negotiation process leading to…

18 May 2023

Crimean Tatars: The swallows that always return

Tamila Tasheva, a Ukrainian activist and politician, talks to our Media Officer Anna Alboth about the centuries’ long history of human…

18 May 2023

Anybody Hear Me: A short film that explores the endangered Kirmancki dialect

‘Anybody Hear Me’ is a poignant film about the Kirmancki language of Kurdish, which is at risk of linguistic…

18 May 2023

The devastating impact of the recent earthquakes on Türkiye’s minorities

On 6 February 2023, 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes occurred at 04:17 hrs and 13:24 hrs respectively, centred on Kahramanmaraş,…

12 May 2023

Making the invisible visible

By Anna Alboth, Media Officer at Minority Rights Group Europe  ‘Statelessness is often referred to as an invisible problem because…

11 May 2023

Music Beyond Borders: A short film about anti-Kurdish discrimination in Türkiye

Join us in exploring the powerful story of a banned language and a silenced culture. This short film takes you back to the 1980s in…

10 May 2023

Give our future back

By May, Asia Intern at Minority Rights Group  I heard a knock while I was sleeping in my apartment; I thought it was too early and I…

9 May 2023

Oral Statement by MRG on Human Rights Situation of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Africa at 75th Ordinary Session of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

This statement was delivered at the 75th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Right on 4 May 2023  by Samuel…

27 April 2023

Language discrimination in Iran

According to UNESCO, every two weeks one language disappears and at least 43% of the 6,000 spoken languages in the world are in danger of…

21 April 2023

MARIO comes to life

By Ifra Asad, Grants Manager at Minority Rights Group Europe  The Minorities, Accountability, Rights, Independence and Organizational…

31 March 2023

Magical Moments: Claire Thomas reporting from Somalia

I had the privilege of visiting Somalia last week, for our programme to improve polio vaccination coverage through minority inclusion. I…

23 March 2023

Ugandan Constitution must include all ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples

Minority Rights Group (MRG) welcomes the call by the Equal Opportunities Commission of Uganda for an amendment to the state’s 2005…

17 March 2023

MRG calls on member-states to address the intersectional human rights impacts of climate change as part of their work to ensure inclusive mitigation

This statement was delivered at the Human Rights Council – 52nd Session by Mays Al-Juboori, Senior Middle East Officer at Minority Rights…

16 March 2023

Addressing Disparities in Covid-19 Vaccination Access for Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities: A Call to Action for the UN High Commissioner

This statement was delivered at the Human Rights Council – 52nd Session by Glenn Payot, UN Advocacy Consultant at Minority Rights Group…

16 March 2023

MRG urges the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to address violations of the economic and social rights of religious minorities

This statement was delivered at the Human Rights Council – 52nd Session by Mays Al-Juboori, Senior Middle East Officer at Minority Rights…

13 March 2023

MRG welcomes outcomes of the recent African Commission mission to Tanzania

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) welcomes recent recommendations from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights…

2 March 2023

Photography Competition: Focus on Water

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) invites photography contributions for its flagship Minority and Indigenous Trends publication,…

1 March 2023

MRG announces Claire Thomas as Co-Executive Director

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is delighted to announce that Claire Thomas has been appointed Co-Executive Director to the…

24 February 2023

Roma solidarity: one year later

Today, 24 February 2023, marks one year since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This article platforms the voices of Roma…

24 February 2023

Submission to the CRPD Committee General Discussion on Article 11 People with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies

MRG contributed to a joint submission on the rights of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies…

23 February 2023

Beyond just conservation: a history of Maasai dispossession

The traditional homeland of the Maasai, stretching from the Rift Valley lakes of Kenya across the Serengeti plains into Tanzania, is rich…

21 February 2023

Revitalizing Tamazight: The role of language education policies in Morocco

By Silvia Quattrini, North Africa Manager and language rights focal point  Abdelaziz Khellada is a primary school teacher from Morocco. He…

16 February 2023

Minority rights protection in South Asia curtailed by minimal engagement with human rights mechanisms, report finds

Poor engagement by South Asian states with international human rights mechanisms is providing fertile ground for a wide range of rights…

2 February 2023

Review of the 7th Periodic Report of Tunisia

Minority Rights Group International, in partnership with Tunisian associations Mnemty and Unité dans la Diversité, has submitted a…

23 January 2023

Fight against racial discrimination in Tunisia, work in progress: Regional consultation day in Medenine

As part of our advocacy work for the fight against racial discrimination in Tunisia, and on the occasion of the national day of…

19 January 2023

No Data IS Data: what existing but untapped disaggregated data tells us about inequalities in vaccination rates in the Global South

Data is critical. Policymakers cannot tackle the factors that result in people being left behind if they don’t know who those people are…

17 January 2023

We are still saying that we should not be left out: Manase Ntutu on fighting for the rights of indigenous persons with disabilities

Manase describes the challenges indigenous people with disabilities face in accessing international advocacy systems to represent…

20 December 2022

COP15: only a human rights-based approach will guarantee the newly agreed biodiversity targets, says Minority Rights Group International

COP15 closed yesterday with an agreement on a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, comprising four goals and 23 targets to halt and…

19 December 2022

Unheard voices: disability and minorities and indigenous peoples in research

Recently, Minority Rights Group (MRG) and Land Body Ecologies (LBE) hosted a roundtable discussion on disability and minorities and…

16 December 2022

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: Community curator Anis Aktar on intersectionality within UK’s Disability Rights Movement History

Anis Aktar is a community curator for the landmark exhibition ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ at the People’s History Museum in…

15 December 2022

Said and Yarg: Five years later, what has changed?

Cliquez ici pour lire cet article en français By Menka Sandrasagren, Administrative Assistant at Minority Rights Group International  In…

9 December 2022

MRG condemns sentencing of Pamiri civil society leaders in Tajikistan

Today, a number of prominent Pamiri civil society leaders were sentenced to prison terms up to 21 years in the Gorno-Badakson Autonomous…

6 December 2022

Deaf Muslims in the UK: Khalid Ashraf on intersectional discrimination in Britain

Both Deaf people and Muslims experience exclusion and discrimination in British society. Both structurally and in daily life, Deaf Muslims…

2 December 2022

UN Committee makes historic recommendations to Brazilian Government on intersectional discrimination between disability and race

Today, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) made historic recommendations relating to intersectional…

2 December 2022

MRG’s recommendations to the UN Forum on Minority Issues

This statement was delivered on 1 December 2022 by MRG’s Ifra Asad at the 15th UN Forum on Minority Issues under the agenda item,…

1 December 2022

Target to ‘protect’ 30% of earth by 2030 – a disaster for people and bad for the planet

Survival International, Amnesty International, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) call on States…

30 November 2022

EXPLAINER: Why are minorities gathering in Geneva this week?

By Miriam Lawson, Communications Officer at Minority Rights Group  Minority Rights Group (MRG) and partners from across the world are in…

25 November 2022

MRG welcomes UN resolution on fact-finding mission in Iran, but gaps remain

At its 35th special session yesterday, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution that creates a new fact-finding mission to…

21 November 2022

One Year of Arbitrary Detention: Human Rights Organisations Call for Release of Kashmiri Human Rights Defender Khurram Parvez

The undersigned organizations call for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, who was…

17 November 2022

Is the world paying enough attention to indigenous mental health?

By Miriam Lawson, Communications Officer at Minority Rights Group Words matter. Having the words to describe how we are feeling means we…

17 November 2022

Kick off in Qatar: Who is being overshadowed?

By Menka Sandrasagren, Administration Assistant at Minority Rights Group International  This weekend, 60,000 football fans will watch…

16 November 2022

MRG concerned about the situation of ​​black and other marginalized people with disabilities in Brazil

This statement was delivered by Luciana Viegas, director of Vidas Negras com Deficiência Importam, on behalf of Minority Rights Group, the…

3 November 2022

Tunisia: achieving equality through legal means and lawyers’ support

In 2018, the Tunisian parliament passed a ground-breaking law. A landmark first in the region, the law (organic law no.2018-50)…

31 October 2022

Brazil: MRG denounces the situation faced by black and other marginalized persons with disabilities

Last week, MRG and partners submitted an alternative report on the situation for black people with disabilities in Brazil ahead of the…

28 October 2022

MRG urges the African Union to put in place positive measures to ensure that no one is left behind

This statement on the human rights situation of indigenous communities and minorities in Africa was delivered by Samuel Ade Ndasi to the…

25 October 2022

Minority exclusion in Somalia: shortcomings of aid agency feedback mechanisms

In 2021, MRG research revealed that minority clan members in Somalia were less likely to be aware of, to trust and to use the feedback…

24 October 2022

Beyond the veil: Minority women in Iran are calling for change

The bastion of patriarchy has long been defended by systems of discrimination and impunity in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The recent…

17 October 2022

UN Human Rights Council must hold a special session on Iran

Minority Rights Group International and over 40 organizations issued this statement on 17 October 2022, calling on the United Nations Human…

13 October 2022

Filming persecution in secret: James Dann on the making of Section 298

By James Joel Dann, co-director and producer of MRG-produced documentary ‘Section 298’. The story is told through the eyes of three…

11 October 2022

A model for peace in northern Kenya

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group Nearly sixty years on from independence, northern Kenya is distinct…

6 October 2022

MRG calls for accountability for human rights violations in Somalia

This statement was delivered on Wednesday 5 October 2022 by Mohamed Eno to the United Nations Human Rights Council, 51st session, item 10…

5 October 2022

MRG and partners stand in solidarity with the International Dalit Solidarity Network

This statement was delivered by Paulo de Tarso Lugon Arantes in the name of Minority Rights Group, Anti-Slavery International, the…

5 October 2022

India: The UN Human Rights Council must act for minority and indigenous rights

This statement was delivered by Glenn Payot in the name of Minority Rights Group, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Frontline…

28 September 2022

They have never caused any war

Anna Alboth is Europe Media Officer at Minority Rights Group International. This opinion piece was originally published in Polish by…

22 September 2022

Where to turn? Discrimination and barriers to justice are a reality for Roma in Hungary and Serbia

Roma in Hungary and Serbia often face discrimination with restricted avenues to justice. Fears of retaliation or a lack of faith in the…

21 September 2022

MRG calls UN Member States to stand up for all humanity

This statement was delivered at the High-level Meeting of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly to mark the Commemoration of the…

20 September 2022

‘Burkini’ ban in Grenoble

Muslim women in France have been specifically targeted by a ruling that forbids them from wearing full coverage bathing suits – or…

15 September 2022

MRG calls for clear accountability measures to address human rights violations

This statement was delivered by Rasha Saba in the name of MRG at the Human Rights Council’s Interactive Dialogue with the Special…

6 September 2022

Climate-linked lake rise frustrates indigenous Endorois health volunteers

The gradual rise of the lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley, a phenomenon that has been unfolding for the better part of a decade, has received…

1 September 2022

Indigenous Ogiek health volunteers want clean water access

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group  Kenya’s Mau Complex is well known for being one of the most…

23 August 2022

From exclusion to violence: The case of religious minorities in Pakistan

By Naumana Suleman, South Asia Coordinator at Minority Rights Group International Today is the International Day Commemorating the Victims…

22 August 2022

No peace without justice: Commemorating victims of violence in Iraq

By Mays Al-Juboori, Senior Middle East Officer at Minority Rights Group International Today, on the International Day Commemorating Victims…

17 August 2022

It’s been a year and I can’t even express my feelings

By Abobakar Fazil, with the support of Anna Alboth, MRG Media Officer Trigger warning: This piece contains experiences of forced…

11 August 2022

Egypt’s border communities cut off from adequate healthcare, new briefing shows

انقر هنا لقراءة هذا البيان باللغة العربية. Nubian, Bedouin and Amazigh communities in Egypt have been…

8 August 2022

Situation of persons with disabilities belonging to minorities in the Southern border provinces of Thailand

MRG submitted a joint alternative report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) with partners Center for…

2 August 2022

One step closer: indigenous peoples’ rights in the DRC

By Eunice Nsikak Olembo, Africa Legal Officer at Minority Rights Group After nine years of tenacious advocacy by indigenous rights…

27 July 2022

Telling indigenous stories with nuance

Uganda’s star in middle and long distance running is on the rise, with the country now rubbing shoulders with powerhouses Kenya and…

19 July 2022

Testimonies of a group of associations fighting against racial discrimination in Tunisia

Last March, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Minority Rights Group met with a number…

18 July 2022

Empowering Kenya’s indigenous Sengwer to advocate for better healthcare and education

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer and Geoffrey Kerosi, East Africa Health and Education Projects Coordinator at Minority Rights…

5 July 2022

MRG and partner emphasize disproportionate impact on Roma of Russian invasion of Ukraine

This statement to the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Yulian Kondur in the name of MRG and Chirikli at the Human Rights…

5 July 2022

MRG: states and development actors should integrate racial equality into development programmes

This statement to the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Glenn Payot, UN Advocacy Consultant at Minority Rights Group, in the…

5 July 2022

MRG expresses concern about the situation of minority women in Afghanistan

This statement to the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Glenn Payot, UN Advocacy Consultant at Minority Rights Group, at the Urgent…

5 July 2022

UPR of Uganda: MRG urges the government to implement affirmative action for indigenous communities

This statement to the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Bob Mbabazi, at the Universal Periodic Review of Uganda, Human Rights…

29 June 2022

Right to health for women with disabilities who experience racism: report to the CERD

MRG was part of a joint submission on the right to health for women with disabilities who experience racism with Women Enabled and NIDWAN…

24 June 2022

NGOs call on UN Secretary-General to hold transparent, merit-based, consultative process to pick next UN High-Commissioner

This joint open letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, dated from 22 June 2022, was signed by 63 individuals and organizations,…

24 June 2022

MRG: The rhetoric of ‘green transitions’ cannot be used to push ever more deeply into indigenous territories

This statement to the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Shikha Dilawri, South Asia Programme Coordinator at Minority Rights Group,…

23 June 2022

Ogiek win another landmark victory in African Court

MRG welcomes the pathbreaking judgment of the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) in the matter concerning the Ogiek quest to…

22 June 2022

Indigenous Ogiek in Kenya eagerly anticipate reparations judgement

The quest for justice for the Ogiek people continues. On Thursday 23 June 2022, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights will…

15 June 2022

MRG and partners gravely concerned by the situation facing religious and ethnic minorities in India

This joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council on the situation of minorities, indigenous peoples and human rights defenders in India…

15 June 2022

World of work a critical arena for minority and indigenous peoples’ rights – new global report highlights

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) releases its annual report today, with this year’s edition offering a broad scrutiny of…

7 June 2022

Human Rights Abuses in PNKB: So-called ‘independent’ findings of ICCN Investigation cannot be taken at face value

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français. On 1 June 2022, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)…

2 June 2022

Right to health for women with disabilities who experience racism: report to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

MRG was part of a joint submission to the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard…

1 June 2022

The Right to Health for Women with Disabilities Who Experience Racism

MRG was part of a joint submission to the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard…

20 May 2022

Military crackdown in Tajikistan: another step backwards for Pamiri minority rights and towards potential conflict

Minority Rights Group (MRG) is deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region…

28 April 2022

UN Committee Decries Racial Discrimination in Global Covid-19 Vaccine Access

Germany, Switzerland, UK, and US Called to Account for Not Supporting a Comprehensive Waiver of Intellectual Property and Mandating…

28 April 2022

Recommendations to African states on indigenous and minority issues

This joint oral statement on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples, communities and minorities in Africa was delivered by Samuel…

27 April 2022

Near Włodawa, Poland, there is a border that divides us all

Anna Alboth is Europe Media Officer at Minority Rights Group International. This opinion piece was originally published in Polish by…

12 April 2022

UPR of the United Kingdom – MRG’s contribution

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) calls on UN member states to use the opportunity of the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of…

7 April 2022

Advocating for employment equality for religious minorities in Balochistan

In Pakistan, members of religious minorities frequently experience violations of their human, socio-economic, and political rights,…

5 April 2022

Deutsche und US-finanzierte Parkwächter:innen ermorden und vergewaltigen Mitglieder einer indigenen Gemeinschaft im Nationalpark der Demokratischen Republik Kongo, wie eine Untersuchung zeigt

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué de presse en français | Click here to read this press release in English International finanzierte…

5 April 2022

German and US funded park guards murder and rape indigenous community members living in DRC national park, investigation reveals

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué de presse en français | Klicken Sie hier, um diese Pressemitteilung auf Englisch zu lesen…

31 March 2022

UPR of India – Joint contribution from MRG and partners

Nationality for All (NFA), Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) make this joint…

31 March 2022

UPR of Morocco – MRG’s contribution

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) calls on UN member states to use the opportunity of the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of…

31 March 2022

UPR of Algeria – MRG’s contribution

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) calls on UN member states to use the opportunity of the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of…

31 March 2022

Kenyan government should respect pro-indigenous rights rulings

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group 2010 was a monumental year for the land rights of indigenous…

31 March 2022

UPR of Tunisia – Joint contribution from MRG and partners

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) calls on UN member states to use the opportunity of the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of…

30 March 2022

MRG and partner worried about the state of minority and Roma rights in Ukraine

This statement was delivered by Yulian Kondur in the name of MRG and Chirikli at the Human Rights Council’s Interactive Dialogue on…

29 March 2022

Joshua Castellino: Raising voices against racism

This intervention was made by Joshua Castellino, MRG’s Executive Director, during the commemoration of the International Day for the…

24 March 2022

UPR of Thailand: MRG & partners urge the government to withdraw emergency laws affecting minorities

This statement was delivered by Anchana Heemmina in the name of MRG, Duay Jai and the Bungaraya Group of Patan at the Human Rights…

23 March 2022

UPR of Hungary: MRG and Idetartozunk Egyesület call on the government to secure the rights of Roma

This statement was delivered by Eugen Berecz in the name of MRG and Idetartozunk Egyesület at the Human Rights Council’s Universal…

22 March 2022

MRG calls on states to increase their support to the UN Forum on Minority Issues

This statement was delivered by Glenn Payot in the name of MRG at the Human Rights Council’s General Debate, 49th Session, held on…

22 March 2022

MRG reacts to the report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues on conflict prevention and minority rights

This statement was delivered by Glenn Payot in the name of MRG at the Human Rights Council’s Interactive Dialogue with the Special…

21 March 2022

MRG expresses grave concern over recent reports of extreme hate speech against minorities in India

This statement was delivered by Glenn Payot in the name of MRG at the Human Rights Council’s General Debate, 49th Session, held on…

17 March 2022

Language Matters: Representation of Gypsies and Travellers in British media

By Mihaela Cojocaru, Communications and Fundraising Administrative Assistant at Minority Rights Group The media environment in the UK…

10 March 2022

MRG reacts to the report of the UN Freedom of Religion or Belief expert on religious minorities in conflict

This statement was delivered by Glenn Payot in the name of MRG at the Human Rights Council’s Interactive Dialogue with the Special…

4 March 2022

MRG & partners call on Russia to cease the violence caused by the war against Ukraine

This statement was delivered by Yulian Kondur and the International Charitable Organization Roma Women Fund ‘Chiricli’ in the…

2 March 2022

Pride, Autocrats, Identity, Nationalism: The Anachronistic Follies of War

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director There have been many attempts to outlaw war in the history of international relations. Yet States…

21 February 2022

Türkiye: Access to education in mother languages is a human right

International Mother Language Day is held annually on 21 February and is an opportunity to promote the preservation and protection of all…

21 February 2022

Our mother languages live with us!

Language Rights Monitoring Documentation and Reporting Network (DHIBRA), a Türkiye-based network conducting in-depth research on minority…

16 February 2022

MRG makes commitments at the 2022 Global Disability Summit to promote underrepresented groups facing intersectional discrimination

By Lauren Avery, Minority and Disability Intersectional Discrimination Project Officer at Minority Rights Group (MRG) What is the summit…

2 February 2022

Proud Roma: Celebrating Romani culture and pride through film

Just last week, the premiere of Proud Roma took place. The short film is a contemporary Roma manifesto and a tribute to Roma pride and…

28 January 2022

Smoked Fish: Using film to show the human toll of Anti-Asian hate crime

By Eva Strnadova We know that instances of anti-Asian hate crime rose during the Covid-19 pandemic. But what kind of trauma endures among…

23 January 2022

Abolition of the legacy of slavery: ‘Atig’ no more

On the occasion of the National Day of Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery in Tunisia, which corresponds to 23 January 1846, we offer…

18 January 2022

Tribute: Elizabeth Ibrahim and Zephyrin Kalimba ran the good race

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group There is a poignancy about reflecting on life, and knowing that one…

18 January 2022

Minorities and minoritized groups in Tunisia, between discrimination and recognition of diversity

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) organized a panel discussion on…

1 January 2022

Minorities in Türkiye face numerous challenges in securing their rights to education in minority languages

Challenges facing minorities in Türkiye Minority Rights Group Europe publishes its bi-annual Bulletin that introduces major issues of…

23 December 2021

Minority and indigenous peoples’ rights defenders urge African states to address marginalisation grievances

Human rights defenders of minorities and indigenous peoples across Africa are calling on African states to take urgent measures that…

20 December 2021

Joint Letter to South Korea’s National Assembly Calling For the Immediate Passage of a Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law

This letter was signed by 30 organizations and sent to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. It urges the National Assembly to…

16 December 2021

Hopes for 2022: ‘Where’s our solidarity with refugees? We can do better’

In this video produced by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Claire Thomas, Deputy Director for Minority Rights Group…

16 December 2021

New data shows rising authoritarianism is causing instability and violence for minorities worldwide, says MRG

The rise of authoritarianism across the globe in recent years directly impacts societies struggling with division, conflict and violence,…

14 December 2021

‘The EU as a Global Actor in Climate Action’, Joshua Castellino | TEPSA Explainers

‘Humanity is facing a serious crisis due to human-induced climate change. It is imperative that local, regional, national, and…

7 December 2021

Early warning mechanisms key to calming ethnic tensions

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group The Rwenzori region in Uganda is volatile, simmering tensions between…

6 December 2021

MRG condemns killing of Priyantha Kumara, minority Christian in Pakistan

Minority Rights Group (MRG) strongly condemns the violent attack and murder of Sri Lankan Christian Priyantha Kumara on allegations of…

1 December 2021

HIV in the time of the pandemic – a bitter reality

Cliquez ici pour lire cette page en français. On World AIDS Day, we present this documentary which gives voice to people who…

30 November 2021

Aimaq in Afghanistan: Surviving a difficult situation

A young Afghan minority activist shared with us his story. Here is what he has to say. My name is Mobeenullah Aimaq. I was born in 1994 in…

29 November 2021

States must support new UN body to counter anti-Black racism by ensuring the nomination of strong and independent experts

The UN General Assembly has created in the summer a new Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This new UN body is key as it is a…

29 November 2021

Why journalists seeking out minority and indigenous voices is ever so important

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group As traditional media business models continue to be disrupted by the…

26 November 2021

Afghan minority activist in Pakistan speaks about his former work

Advocacy work can be very loud, creating headlines, marking a history to be remembered for years to come. It can also be a more subtle but…

24 November 2021

Lives since the Taliban takeover

The change came days before the 102nd anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence. People, getting ready to celebrate, saw the collapse…

24 November 2021

Public call by human rights and other organizations in the OSCE region due to the intention of the Russian authorities to wind up two oldest human rights organizations in the country

MRG joins the call of 102 leading civil society organizations in condemning the attempts by the Russian Federation authorities to wind up…

8 November 2021

MRG at COP26: Community-based forest monitoring and territorial defence in action

Lara Domínguez, our Head of Litigation, is writing from a side event on community-based forest monitoring in Peru´s Madre de Dios Forest…

25 October 2021

Heath and education: Indigenous communities want action from the Government of Uganda ahead of upcoming UN review

Indigenous and ethnic minorities in Uganda are urging the government to back promises of improving healthcare and education access in their…

21 October 2021

Roma in Croatia and Bulgaria face discrimination with little recourse to legal remedies – new report

Roma communities in Croatia and Bulgaria continue to experience persistent discrimination despite various governmental strategies to ensure…

19 October 2021

MRG condemns widespread attacks against Hindu minority in Bangladesh

Minority Rights Group (MRG) strongly condemns the widespread attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh over the past week. Violent attacks began…

18 October 2021

Looking back on the past 4 years working with minorities and indigenous peoples

By Cécile Clerc, Director of Development & Partnerships at Minority Rights Group  In my fundraising role, believe me or not… I…

14 October 2021

By turning down bill against forced conversion, Pakistan fails to address human rights violations

Minority Rights Group International condemns the recent decision of the Pakistani Parliamentary Committee to set aside a draft Bill aiming…

14 October 2021

UPR of Hungary – Joint contribution from MRG and Idetartozunk Egyesület on Roma rights

Minority Rights Group (MRG) and its local partner Idetartozunk Egyesület are calling on states to address the situation of Roma in…

13 October 2021

UN Member States: Sign on to Cross-regional joint statement on reprisals

This joint letter was signed by 36 organizations and sent to Member States of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on 11…

11 October 2021

Open letter from civil society to world leaders: Put human rights at the centre of environmental policy

This open letter was signed by 166 civil society organizations and individuals calling upon world leaders to put human rights at the centre…

8 October 2021

HRC48: Support resolution on ‘Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights’

This letter was sent by a group of organizations to Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 5 October…

6 October 2021

MRG and partners call on Somalia to tackle exclusion of minorities

Human Rights Council – 48th Session Wednesday 6 October 2021Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on SomaliaSpeaker: Maimon…

5 October 2021

Call for the Global Recognition of the Right to a Healthy Environment

In this time of climate emergency and Covid-19 crisis, we have come together as civil society organizations, social movements, local…

5 October 2021

MRG and partner advocate for adequate action to tackle hate speech against Roma in Ukraine

Human Rights Council – 48th Session Oral Update of the High Commissioner on Human rights in UkraineTuesday 5 October 2021Speaker: Yulian…

5 October 2021

‘Growth over safety’? Latest Facebook revelations signal an urgent need for partnerships to tackle hate speech

This press release was published this morning on the website of CREID, the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development that…

5 October 2021

MRG: Climate crisis mitigation measures must involve Afro-descendant communities

The structural racism faced by persons of African descent has led many Afro-descendant communities having to live in locations that are…

5 October 2021

MRG and partners urge the UN Human Rights Council to monitor racial discrimination in Brazil

Joint Oral Statement by by MRG, Race & Equality, IMADR and the Marielle Franco Institute Human Rights Council – 48th Session – 4…

1 October 2021

MRG & partners call on Somalia to pay particular attention to minority clan communities

Human Rights Council – 48th Session Friday 1 October 2021 UPR of Somalia Speaker: Ibrahim Hassan Mohamed I speak on behalf of a…

1 October 2021

MRG stands in solidarity with Nurcan Kaya following her wrongful conviction in Türkiye

Minority Rights Group (MRG) condemns the recent conviction by Turkish courts against human rights activist and writer Nurcan Kaya. It is a…

30 September 2021

Incite! What is causing the rapid spread of hate speech against religious minorities and how can this be countered?

In the first of a new podcast series focusing on identifying and challenging online hate speech which targets religious minorities, Emily…

30 September 2021

Accurate data key to amplifying indigenous voices

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group How do you, as an indigenous-led organisation, get authorities to…

27 September 2021

MRG welcomes new report on indigenous peoples and Covid-19 recovery

Human Rights Council – 48th Session Monday 27 September 2021Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of…

27 September 2021

MRG deeply concerned by the situation of ethnic and religious or belief minorities in Afghanistan

Human Rights Council – 48th Session Monday 27 September 2021General Debate – Item 4 Speaker: Ifra Asad Thank you Chair, Minority Rights…

24 September 2021

People as Pawns to Power: The Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis on the Belarusian Border Needs Urgent Attention

By Anna Alboth, Europe Media Programmes Coordinator at MRG For an organisation established on the back of a humanitarian disaster that…

23 September 2021

Imminent threat to the Congo Basin rainforest from the lifting of the DRC moratorium on new logging concessions

Cliquez ici pour lire cette lettre en français. This letter was sent this morning by 44 international and Congolese organisations to the…

23 September 2021

Boot camp re-energises Kenya’s indigenous activists

By Billy Rwothungeyo, Africa Media Officer at Minority Rights Group Elias Kimaiyo has seen it all. On the frontline fighting for the land…

23 September 2021

MRG welcomes the general prosecutor’s decision to start a new impartial process against Arroi Baraket and demands the thorough investigation of the officer who attacked her

اضغط هنا لقراءة هذا البيان الصّحفي بالعربيّة Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français This…

21 September 2021

Where hatred and intolerance can lead: letters from the Holocaust

Madeline Vadkerty is a Samuel P. Mandell Fellow in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program at Gratz College in Philadelphia,…

20 September 2021

MRG denounces police attack and false charges against consultant Arroi Baraket

اضغط هنا لقراءة هذا البيان الصّحفي بالعربيّة Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français…

17 September 2021

Indigenous paralegals and the fight for climate justice

By Eunice Nsikak Olembo, Africa Legal Officer at Minority Rights Group For indigenous communities, climate justice is not simply about…

15 September 2021

Criminalisation of Patrick Zaki contradicts presidential message at the launch of Egypt’s National Strategy of Human Rights

Minority Rights Group (MRG) is deeply concerned with the referral of researcher and human rights advocate Patrick George Zaki to trial….

13 September 2021

Pithy answers for a complicated world: why the 30×30 ‘solution’ will hurt the environment and violate indigenous rights

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director at MRG At the Marseille Conference of the IUCN Congress last week, discussion once again centred…

9 September 2021

Open appeal to UN Member States to ensure the adoption of a resolution creating an investigative mechanism on Afghanistan at the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council

Cliquez ici pour lire cette déclaration en français. Haga clic aquí para leer esta declaración en español. We, the undersigned…

3 September 2021

MRG welcomes Uganda court verdict on Batwa compensation

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) welcomes the recent decision of Uganda’s constitutional court, directing a lower court to…

25 August 2021

How to write about migration on the Polish-Belarusian border?

By Anna Alboth, Europe Media Programmes Coordinator at MRG How to write about migration on the Polish-Belarusian border? Background: During…

25 August 2021

‘Network for Peace’ project improves lives of minority communities

By Geofrey Sabiiti, Africa Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Coordinator, MRG Africa ‘Network for Peace‘ is a three-year…

25 August 2021

PETITION: Protect 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity – recognise indigenous land rights

Indigenous peoples make up less than 5 per cent of the global population but have safeguarded 80 per cent of the world’s…

24 August 2021

CREID calls for creation of a robust international accountability mechanism to monitor and report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan

Human Rights Council – 31st Special Session – Tuesday 24th August 2021 Special Session on the serious human rights concerns and…

16 August 2021

The whole world must act now to avert a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

This is a refugee family from Afghanistan whom Minority Rights Group (MRG) met last year close to the Greek-Macedonian border. We will hold…

10 August 2021

The Amazigh language: between the risk of extinction and the hope of victory

Cliquez ici pour lire cet article en français. By Arroi Baraket, Tunisia Communication Officer at Minority Rights Group ‘The Amazigh…

15 July 2021

UPR of Syria – Joint contribution from MRG and Ceasefire

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights are calling on states to use the opportunity of the…

15 July 2021

UPR of Uganda: Joint contributions from MRG and its partners

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and its partners are calling on states to address the situation of minorities and indigenous…

13 July 2021

Memedov v. North Macedonia: The importance of access to justice and a missed opportunity to make a finding on racially motivated police brutality

By Lara Domínguez, Head of Litigation and Andrea Spitalszky, Legal Officer at MRG On 24 June 2021, the European Court of Human Rights…

13 July 2021

Memedov v. North Macedonia: The importance of access to justice and a missed opportunity to make a finding on racially motivated police brutality

By Lara Domínguez, Head of Litigation and Andrea Spitalszky, Legal Officer at MRG On 24 June 2021, the European Court of Human Rights…

1 July 2021

Minority Rights Group Europe Launches two new projects in Türkiye

The Minorities, Accountability, Rights, Collaboration (MARC) project aims to contribute to the full realization of the rights of ethnic,…

1 July 2021

A Tribute to Claire Thomas

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director at Minority Rights Group International For those who were around and may remember, the year 1996…

30 June 2021

Ten urgent lessons for a fairer post-pandemic future – new report

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) releases its annual Minority and Indigenous Trends report today, with this year’s edition…

29 June 2021

Joint Letter to demand justice for Stanislav Tomáš

The open letter below was written by ERGO Network together with Roma and pro-Roma organizations. It was signed by 200 organizations,…

25 June 2021

HRC47 – MRG calls on UN Genocide Prevention Office to increase efforts to combat hate speech against minorities

Human Rights Council – 47th Session – Interactive dialogue with the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide – Item 3 Statement…

24 June 2021

2021 CERD election today –  Need for greater geographic diversity and competition in future

Today, the 182 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) were invited…

24 June 2021

Stand Up For Stanislav Tomáš: A Call for Accountability and Structural Change in the Czech Republic

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director at Minority Rights Group International Two men, both in their 40s, brutally murdered by police, in…

23 June 2021

HRC47 – MRG welcomes Special Rapporteur’s focus on racial justice in health

Human Rights Council – 47th Session – Interactive dialogue with Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on right to health…

22 June 2021

Obstacles to implementing the rights of minorities and early effective conflict prevention

Presentation at the United Nations Africa and Middle East Regional Forum on conflict prevention and the protection of the human rights of…

21 June 2021

MRG shares key lessons on state responses to the pandemic

Oral statement delivered by Samrawit Gougsa at the UN Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogue on the report of the high…

21 June 2021

MRG and partners announced as winners of prestigious Wellcome Trust Hub award

Minority Rights Group (MRG) and partners in the Land Body Ecologies Research Group (LBE) have won the Wellcome Trust’s renowned Hub…

20 June 2021

Refugees, dignity and humanity: A Sea-Eye 4 crew member reflects on rescuing 408 lives

Last month, I joined the Sea-Eye 4 crew as a journalist on board. At that time, we did not yet know that we would experience one of the…

18 June 2021

Civil Society Condemns Human Rights Violations against Indigenous Peoples in West Papua

An ongoing armed conflict in West Papua between the Indonesian military and the separatist movement finds ordinary indigenous peoples…

15 June 2021

Weekend thoughts on the plight of the left behind

By Cécile Clerc, MRG’s Director of Development & Partnerships One of my little pleasures every weekend is to be the first to grab…

11 June 2021

A Four-Fold Path to Mitigating the Environmental Crisis

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director, Minority Rights Group International In a succinct Op-Ed published last week in the lead up to…

8 June 2021

Webinar Overview: ‘The Rights and Equality of Dis/abled People in Thailand’

On 26 May 2021, the Faculty of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus and the Center for Conflict Studies and…

5 June 2021

Politicking in the Midst of Pandemic Could be Recipe for Election Disaster

By Joshua Castellino, MRG’s Executive Director After a devastating year in Ethiopia that witnessed wide-scale killings and war in the…

2 June 2021

How the Ugandan Constitution perpetuates discrimination against ethnic minorities

In 2011, Aggrey Kiragaba Liboyo, a pastor, was awarded a dream scholarship in the United States to further his studies in theology and…

1 June 2021

Egypt: President should act to unshackle freedoms

Urgent action needed to address serious concerns raised by UN rights bodies We the undersigned 64 organizations from around the world call…

25 May 2021

George Floyd: one year on, MRG stands with all minority victims of police violence and their families

Today marks one year since George Floyd was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, MN. Minority Rights Group…

24 May 2021

Achieving true racial justice: an update on our work to defeat structural discrimination

The internal discussion at Minority Rights Group (MRG), following the call for dismantling structural discrimination ignited by the killing…

22 May 2021

MRG stands in solidarity with Palestinians and denounces all violence against civilians

Today, thousands gather once again in the UK and abroad to protest the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Minority…

10 May 2021

MRG joins civil society call for the UN to investigate systemic racism in the police in the US, and to monitor this phenomenon globally

Re: The UN Human Rights Council’s role to ensure effective accountability and follow-up to HRC Resolution 43/1 Dear High Commissioner,…

6 May 2021

Kenya’s minority and indigenous communities missing out on education and healthcare access

Kenya’s Endorois and Turkana minority and indigenous communities are struggling to access quality education and healthcare services,…

28 April 2021

MRG concerned about anti-slavery linked arrests in Mauritania

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is deeply concerned about the arrests of a…

25 April 2021

Status of peace and justice for indigenous peoples of East Africa: our recommendations

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 20th session – Side event hosted by Minority Rights Group International20 April 2021 at 8:00 am…

21 April 2021

A welcome judgment but not yet justice

By Carl Söderbergh The guilty verdict brought by a jury in the United States against ex-police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of…

20 April 2021

Indigenous peoples must be at the forefront when it comes to redressing violations of their rights

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) – 20th Session Agenda Item 3: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions on the…

15 April 2021

Policing Bill: How the UK proves structural racism is alive and well against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities

By Menka Sandrasagren, Research Assistant at Minority Rights Group International The UK government has introduced a bill in Parliament…

13 April 2021

We come to this world as human beings and we should stay human beings until our death – Part 2 of 2

Dr. Leon Weintraub was born into a Jewish family in Poland in 1926. In 1944, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Dr….

8 April 2021

We come to this world as human beings and we should stay human beings until our death – Part 1 of 2

Dr. Leon Weintraub was born into a Jewish family in Poland in 1926. In 1944, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Dr….

1 April 2021

MRG condemns new UK Commission on Race and Ethnic disparities report

Minority Rights Group International unequivocally condemns the report released by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities set up to…

31 March 2021

Side-event at the UN Human Rights Council sheds light on hate speech in South Asia

At the UN side-event to the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, Minority Rights Group (MRG), along with the South Asia Collective,…

25 March 2021

Reporting back from the UN Human Rights Council

The 46th edition of the UN Human Rights Council ended yesterday. It was a great opportunity for MRG and our partners to raise challenges…

19 March 2021

Anielle Franco addresses the HRC about police violence against Black and LGBT+ Brazilians

Human Rights Council – 46th Session General Debate – item 9 Speaker: Anielle Franco Madam President, Black Lives Matter. This statement…

18 March 2021

MRG encourages states to increase support to the Minority Forum

Human Rights Council – 46th Session General Debate – item 5 Thank you Madame President, Minority Rights Group welcomes the convening of…

15 March 2021

MRG reacts to the report of the SR on minorities on hate speech, social media and minorities

Human Rights Council – 46th Session Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on minority issues – item 3 Mister Special…

15 March 2021

MRG and others urge the HRC to react to Egypt’s crackdown on defenders and civic space

The following statement was delivered in the framework of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Cairo Institute for Human…

12 March 2021

States break silence to condemn Egypt’s abuses at UN rights body

اضغط هنا لقراءة هذا البيان الصّحفي بالعربيّة MRG is co-signing the following joint NGO press release…

9 March 2021

MRG joins NGO statement on the recognition at the universal level of the right of all to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment

The following statement was delivered in the framework of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council by Earthjustice, on behalf of a…

9 March 2021

Problem of Ramseyer’s Article on Buraku: from the Perspective of Human Rights and Non-Discrimination

This statement was published on 8 March 2021 by the International Movement against all forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR). “Let…

4 March 2021

How does border externalization relate to the climate emergency?

The spectre of the ‘climate refugee’ has routinely been leveraged by a range of actors promoting policies ranging from reducing…

3 March 2021

MRG and partners welcome new UN Rapporteur on persons with disabilities’ focus on intersectionality

Human Rights Council – 46th Session Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Mr….

3 March 2021

MRG hails UN report on Islamophobia

Human Rights Council – 46th Session Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief – item 3 Madame…

3 March 2021

Cultural Rights and the Covid-19 Pandemic

Oral statement – International Humanist and Ethical Union 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (22 February – 19 March 2021)…

2 March 2021

Institutional obstacles to professional recognition in Portugal for Eastern European migrants undermine professional equal opportunities

Discrimination harms its victims in so many ways. Crucially, discrimination stops people from achieving their true potential. It also harms…

26 February 2021

Himalayan Dam Disaster: A Symptom of What?

On 7 February 2021, a glacier of the Himalayan peak Nanda Devi in northern India, burst and killed at least 32 people, with a further 170…

19 February 2021

Why budgeting processes are crucial for minorities and indigenous peoples in Kenya

Public budgets are known around the globe to be one of the most important policy instruments for any government. They are tools used by…

9 February 2021

MRG joins massive call for action on Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council

To: Ministers for Foreign Affairs CC: Permanent Representatives to Geneva, and human rights Ambassadors Lead on joint action to address the…

9 February 2021

Joint statement: Civil society supports historic Genocide Amendment to UK Trade Bill

Genocides and other mass atrocity crimes have claimed the lives of over 80 million victims globally since 1945. Today the very existence of…

6 February 2021

Why Iraq must support new bill which redresses the suffering of Yezidi women

Today, Yezidis will finally be able to give their loved ones a proper burial in Kocho, a small village in Sinjar, Iraq, after its…

3 February 2021

Amendment to UK Trade Bill could be an immense step toward genocide prevention

The UK is poised to set an outstanding precedent for genocide prevention through a recently proposed ‘Genocide Amendment’ to the Trade…

3 February 2021

MRG calls for the immediate release of Kurdish activists and others arbitrarily detained in Iran

URGENT INTERNATIONAL ACTION NEEDED TO SECURE RELEASE OF KURDISH ACTVISTS AND OTHERS ARBITRARILY DETAINED IN IRAN Click here to read this…

27 January 2021

International solidarity makes Auschwitz a living memorial

‘Over 200,000 children were murdered in Auschwitz. Completely innocent, good, curious about life, loving their closest ones, trusting…

25 January 2021

Statement: Protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo – a broken system

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français. Peoples and ecosystems in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being failed by the way…

22 January 2021

Twin bombings in Baghdad show an ideological struggle for peace remains

By Mays Al-Juboori, Civilian Rights Officer at Minority Rights Group International Yesterday, at least 32 people were killed, and more than…

18 January 2021

International human rights organizations condemn the recent Panay Massacre

Deadly operations through coordinated police and military actions on Indigenous Peoples under Duterte’s regime in the Philippines must…

14 January 2021

Quiet returns: Reporting from the places where migrants come back

‘Sometimes I wish the virus would come here and kill me,’ says a young man, perhaps a boy, at the Krisan refugee camp on the south…

5 January 2021

UN Committee to review rights of the child in Tunisia – MRG’s submission with PAD network

Tunisia’s efforts to fulfill, respect and protect children’s rights will be reviewed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child at…

5 January 2021

UPR of Mauritania – MRG’s contributions

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is contributing to the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Mauritania, scheduled for…

4 January 2021

French authorities arrest Roger Lumbala, former militia leader, for crimes against humanity in the DRC

English version below; cliquez ici pour accéder à la version française. Congolese MP Roger Lumbala has been arrested in France and is…

21 December 2020

Reflections on 2020 and what ‘building back better’ ought to mean

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director at Minority Rights Group As the final embers of 2020 fade, it is important to reflect on what we…

20 December 2020

Online hate speech in Myanmar: an evolving threat

Hate speech against minorities remains a major concern in Myanmar. Like other countries, the root causes and drivers of hate speech in…

18 December 2020

If I were… Refugees and the cold, cold Europe

By Anna Alboth Bosnia, a stone’s throw away from the European Union. The temperature is below zero. Snow, wind, and a wretched gaze…

18 December 2020

UPDATE: One step forward for the Ogiek as Kenyan court issues conservatory orders, stopping government’s titling process in Eastern Mau

One week ago, many were watching news from Kenya, waiting to hear whether the government had handed out plots of land in Eastern Mau –…

18 December 2020

HRC – MRG and Chirikli on the situation of Roma in Ukraine in light of the Covid-19 pandemic

Yulian Kondur, from Roma Women’s Fund ‘Chiricli’ (Ukraine) delivered the following statement during the UN Human Rights…

17 December 2020

MRG briefing highlights WWF’s complicity in conservation-related Human Rights abuses

A number of leading human rights NGOs have joined Minority Rights Group International (MRG) today to highlight and condemn WWF’s role in…

17 December 2020

Excusing conservation wrongs? Report finds WWF culpable for human rights violations but does not assign blame

Pour lire cette déclaration en français, cliquez ici. The report by the Independent Panel of Experts investigating WWF’s role in…

10 December 2020

Tell President Kenyatta of Kenya to stop illegal handouts of Ogiek lands

This Human Rights Day, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) urges you to support a critical campaign asking the international…

7 December 2020

Open Letter to UN Special-Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Wairimu Nderitu

H.E. Ms. Wairimu Nderitu UN Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention United Nations Secretariat 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 7 December…

7 December 2020

Covid-19 further restricts already diminished space for civil society in South Asia, report finds

The South Asia Collective (SAC), a group of activists and organisations documenting the condition of the region’s minorities, has…

3 December 2020

Building back better: toward a minority, indigenous and disability-inclusive post-Covid-19 world

By Lauren Avery, MRG’s Minority and Disability Intersectional Officer Although the effects of the pandemic have been felt worldwide,…

20 November 2020

MRG calls for the unconditional release of human rights defenders recently arrested in Egypt

Minority Rights Group is joining over 50 human rights NGOs calling on states to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of…

29 October 2020

Kenya: Light at the end of the Tunnel in Marsabit

When natural resources scarcity adds up to longstanding identity conflicts between local peoples, any dissension can quickly escalate into…

27 October 2020

MRG’s long standing friend and ally, Epiphanie Kanziza appointed as Senator in Rwanda

MRG is delighted to congratulate our longstanding friend and ally, Epiphanie Kanziza on her appointment as a Senator in Rwanda. Epiphanie…

22 October 2020

MRG condemns ongoing violence against Mi’kmaq fishermen and calls on Canadian authorities to protect their rights

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) strongly condemns the latest round of violence against the Mi’kmaq people and Mi’kmaq…

20 October 2020

Shi’a become latest target of Pakistan’s extremist Islamic factions; murders, hate speech and numerous blasphemy allegation sow seeds of long-term religious tension

Recent weeks have seen a surge in registration of blasphemy cases involving members of the Shi’a Muslim community, and a disturbing…

15 October 2020

Historic court decision removing a key legacy of slavery in Tunisia warmly welcomed by MRG

The Court of First Instance of Medenine (Tunisia) issued yesterday a historic judgement in favour of Hamden Atig Dali, an 81-year-old man…

7 October 2020

British actor Paterson Joseph will make an appeal for MRG

We’re excited to announce that Paterson Joseph, the acclaimed actor and writer, will present a donation appeal for Minority Rights…

5 October 2020

Global technology report warns of a bleak tech future for minorities and indigenous peoples

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) releases its annual ‘Minority and Indigenous Trends’ report today, this year focussing on…

2 October 2020

MRG urges the UK Home Office to reverse the decision to deport Osime Brown, a Black Autistic man with learning disabilities

Minority Rights Group International urges the UK Home Office to reverse the decision to deport Osime Brown, a Black Autistic man with…

1 October 2020

HRC45 – MRG and Chiricli urge Ukraine to end impunity for intimidation and violence against Roma

Human Rights Council – 45th Session Geneva, Thursday 1st October 2020 Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s oral update…

1 October 2020

HRC45 – MRG calls for attention on how technology replicates and amplify structural racism in law enforcement

Human Rights Council – 45th Session Geneva, Thursday 1st October 2020 Oral Update of the High Commissioner on resolution 43/1 General…

1 October 2020

HRC45 – MRG joins ACLU’s demands to the OHCHR for the elaboration of the report on structural racism and law enforcement

45th Session of the Human Rights Council October 1, 2020 Item 9: General Debate Following High Commissioner’s Oral Update on Res. 43/1…

25 September 2020

Rethinking how effective political participation can ensure the best talent can address our deepest crises

On the occasion of the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations, MRG’s Executive Director, Joshua Castellino, read this statement…

25 September 2020

MRG and other NGOs concerned over the EU’s planned NaturAfrica initiative

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) and Forest Peoples Programme published today an open letter to…

25 September 2020

HRC45 – MRG raises alarm at the crackdown on the human rights movement in Egypt

Human Rights Council – 45th SessionGeneva, Thursday 24th September 2020 General Debate – item 4 Thank you Madame President,…

24 September 2020

HRC45 – MRG welcomes the new Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples and highlights the growing problem of “fortress conservation” projects violating indigenous peoples’ rights

Human Rights Council – 45th Session Geneva, Thursday 24th September 2020 Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights…

23 September 2020

HRC45 – MRG and OPDP (Kenya) engage in a UN panel discussion on the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights defenders

Human Rights Council – 45th Session Geneva, Wednesday 23rd September 2020 Panel discussion – Annual panel on the rights of indigenous…

16 September 2020

MRG welcomes Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata’s first report on Covid-19 and slavery

Human Rights Council – 45th SessionGeneva, Wednesday 16th September 2020 Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary…

15 September 2020

MRG addresses the Council on Covid-19 and human rights

Human Rights Council – 45th Session Geneva, Monday 14th September 2020 Enhance Interactive Dialogue – Oral Update of the High…

10 September 2020

Six months since being declared a pandemic, evidence mounts of how Covid-19 hits minorities and indigenous peoples hardest – New briefing

Read this press release in French and in Arabic. Six months after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, its…

9 September 2020

MRG joins the global call for international human rights monitoring on China

Open letter to: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, UN Member States We, the…

3 September 2020

Minority Rights Group urges Ukraine to take swift, comprehensive action to end the growing culture of mob violence against the Roma

Last week another pogrom was attempted against the Roma in Andriivka village, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. The incident followed a conflict…

2 September 2020

Saneha’s story: Why I care, and why you should too

This blog was written by Claire Thomas, MRG’s Deputy Director, and published on the website of the Institute of Development Studies…

2 September 2020

UN plan to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 could displace hundreds of millions, NGOs and experts warn

One hundred twenty-eight* environmental and human rights NGOs and experts today warn that a United Nations drive to increase global…

27 August 2020

‘Five decades down the line, we shall not relent…’

By Eunice Nsikak Olembo, Africa Legal Officer at Minority Rights Group Africa The Benet people, one of the indigenous minority groups in…

21 August 2020

Déclaration conjointe d’ONG sur l’Irak pour la Journée Internationale de Commmémoration des personnes Victimes de violences en raison de leur Religion ou Convictions

[Déclaration disponible en anglais et en arabe] 22 août 2020 – En ce jour, dédié à la commémoration des victimes de violences…

21 August 2020

Joint NGO Statement on Iraq to Commemorate International Day for Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief

[Statement available in French and Arabic] 22 August 2020 – On this day set aside to commemorate victims of acts of violence based on…

19 August 2020

Ultra Poverty, Multiple Discrimination: The experience of Historically Marginalised People with disabilities in Rwanda during Covid-19

Interview with Joseph Siborurema and Gloriose Yamfashije, from the First People’s Disability Organisation (FPDO), Rwanda. Joseph…

19 August 2020

Beating Anger into Empathy: the Need of the Hour in Ethiopia

Written by Joshua Castellino, MRG’s Executive Director, for Inter Press Service. (Image: In Ethiopia, a nine-year-old child carries…

11 August 2020

MRG Statement on National Minorities’ Day – Pakistan

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) appreciates the designation of 11th August as National Minorities’ Day in Pakistan (2009) and…

5 August 2020

CERD – MRG, IMADR and Race & Equality reflect on the role of the Committee in the context of Covid-19 pandemic and BLM movements

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)…

4 August 2020

Dalits with disabilities hit hardest by lockdown in Nepal (Part 2)

If the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic affects most of the world’s population, all do not benefit from prevention and healthcare services the…

3 August 2020

MRG joins families of victims and rights groups in a call for effective implementation of HRC resolution on police violence and structural racism

Joint letter from 143 families of victims of police violence in the US and over 360 civil society groups calling on the High Commissioner…

29 July 2020

The “Black Spring” taking Tunisia

By Menka Sandrasagren, Intern at Minority Rights Group International, Feature photo: Anti-racism protesters on the streets of Tunis, 6 June…

23 July 2020

Kenyan communities report illegal evictions during Covid-19 – CLAN press release

Government agency uses forest conservation as an excuse for violating rights guaranteed under a ground-breaking court ruling As cold…

22 July 2020

Recent violence in Ethiopia’s Oromia region shows hallmark signs of ethnic cleansing, says MRG

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) unequivocally condemns the recent violence, harassment, and intimidation against minorities in…

21 July 2020

Dalits with disabilities hit hardest by lockdown in Nepal (Part 1)

By Krishna Gahatraj – Secretary of National Association of the Physical Disabled-Nepal Globally, it is estimated that there are more than…

21 July 2020

UPDATE: MRG’s commitment to achieving true racial justice

Four weeks ago, Minority Rights Group (MRG) published the statement below, making a commitment to achieving true racial justice. …

17 July 2020

Without Justice and Recognition the Genocide by ISIS Continues

Joint NGO Statement to Commemorate International Justice Day, 17 July 2020 Following its capture of Mosul on 10 June 2014, the Islamic…

17 July 2020

Kenya Flouts African Court Judgment, Continues to Evict Ogiek in the Midst of Covid-19 Pandemic

MRG and the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Programme (OPDP) strongly condemn the Government of Kenya’s recent evictions of Ogiek…

16 July 2020

HRC44 – MRG and IMADR on racial discrimination and digital technology

Human Rights Council – 44th Session Geneva, Thursday 16 July 2020 Item 9 – ID with the Special Rapporteur on racism   Madam…

14 July 2020

The contrasting experiences of Indigenous groups during Covid-19

By Meera Thoompail, Intern at Minority Rights Group International (MRG)  Indigenous communities around the world have faced a heightened…

13 July 2020

Covering Migration: Toolkit for journalists around the world now launched online

Media and social media narratives have a bigger than ever role in shaping public opinion about what is going on around us. Minority Rights…

13 July 2020

Covid-19 pandemic threatens us all, but can we unite to fight it instead of fighting each other?

By Meera Thoompail, Intern at Minority Rights Group International. Photo: Stateless Rohingya in an internally displaced persons camp,…

10 July 2020

HRC44 – Joint oral statement on civil society space in Sri Lanka

Joint Oral Statement[1]: 44th session of the Human Rights Council Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to…

9 July 2020

UPR of Lebanon – MRG’s submission

Minority Rights Group International has submitted a written contribution ahead of the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Lebanon,…

9 July 2020

UPR of Rwanda – Joint submission from MRG, AIMPO, FPDO and WOPU

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) together with the African Initiative for Mankind Progress Organization (AIMPO), First People…

8 July 2020

HRC44 – MRG’s participation in the UN panel on digital technologies and human rights

Human Rights Council – 44th Session Geneva, 8 Wednesday 2020 Panel discussion on the impacts, opportunities and challenges of new and…

29 June 2020

Tell it with song: Music to raise awareness on Covid-19

Christine Kandie is a representative of the Endorois minority community in Kenya. She works for the Endorois Welfare Council (EWC),…

29 June 2020

In the name of national security, Iranians pay a heavy price – new report

Read the report in Farsi Read the report in English Measures taken in the name of national security and combating terrorism have led to…

26 June 2020

Minority Movies: Six Films to watch in Lockdown

By Miriam Lawson, Editorial and Communications Intern at Minority Rights Group International. For many of us, Covid-19 has left many of us…

24 June 2020

Peoples Under Threat 2020: Covid-19 worsens conflicts and threatens minorities

The Covid-19 pandemic is worsening the impact of existing conflicts and increasing the risk of mass violence according to new data gathered…

18 June 2020

HRC43 – MRG urges Ukraine to deliver on Roma rights

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Oral Update of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights Ukraine – item 10 Madam…

18 June 2020

Kashmir: A tale of two lockdowns

By Menka Sandrasagren, Intern at Minority Rights Group International. (Photo: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir India. Graffiti in the capital of…

18 June 2020

HRC43 – Urgent debate – MRG calls for independent investigations into racist police brutality in the USA and for strong UN action to eradicate systemic racism in law enforcement at the global level

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Urgent Debate on “the current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism,…

18 June 2020

HRC43 – Urgent debate – MRG joins ACLU’s call for UN investigation into systemic racism in law enforcement in the USA

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Urgent Debate on “the current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism,…

16 June 2020

HRC43 – “Our inability to achieve racial justice kills”

Human Rights Council – 43rd SessionGeneva, Tuesday 16th June 2020 General Debate – item 9 Madam President, In the space of only a few…

16 June 2020

Overlooked no more: A Victory for the Indigenous Batwa of the Democratic Republic of Congo

By Eunice Nsikak Olembo, Africa Legal Officer at Minority Rights Group Africa June 5th, 2020 marked a historic date for indigenous people…

8 June 2020

MRG joins ACLU, families of victims and 600 NGOs to call for UN scrutiny on racism and police brutality in the USA

June 8, 2020 To Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council Re: Request for the Convening of a Special Session on the Escalating…

4 June 2020

In the Name of George

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director at Minority Rights Group International. (Photo: A protester in Washington DC holds a sign…

2 June 2020

Beyond Commissions: Institutionalizing Minority Rights In Pakistan

By Naumana Suleman, CREID Programme Officer at Minority Rights Group International On the 5th of May the government of Pakistan announced…

2 June 2020

Targeted Covid-19 testing in Roma settlements in Slovakia – A positive measure or further stigmatization?

By Meera Thoompail, Intern at Minority Rights Group International. (Photo: Zabíjanec Roma settlement in Rudňany. Credit: Jana Cavojska.)…

2 June 2020

Covid-19 and Community Ownership in Cameroon

By Mwalimu George Ngwane, Head of AFRICAphonie. (Photo: ‘Covid organics’ herbal treatment, by Archbishop Kleda.) The fight…

27 May 2020

Defending our Future: Overcoming the Challenges of Returning the Ogiek Home

On the 26th of May 2017 cheering broke out in a courtroom in Arusha as the African Court of Human & Peoples Rights read its judgment in…

27 May 2020

Joint Statement: In Solidarity with the Stateless

An urgent call to states, donors and other stakeholders to promote and protect the rights of stateless persons in their Covid-19 responses….

27 May 2020

MRG joins call on states to protect the rights of the stateless in their Covid-19 responses

An urgent call to states, donors and other stakeholders to promote and protect the rights of stateless persons in their Covid-19 responses…

26 May 2020

Our response to Covid-19 is only as strong as our weakest link

By Claire Thomas, Deputy Director of Minority Rights Group, and Aila Gill, CREID Program Coordinator From the US to the UK, many are…

23 May 2020

Kakais’ anguish in search for security

By Mohammed Almas Violence and threats forced Naji Khurshid Kakai to unwillingly abandon his warm house surrounded by his relatives and to…

22 May 2020

Indigenous Guardianship is Imperative to Protecting Earth’s Biodiversity

By Colin Luoma, Researcher at Minority Rights Group International The International Day for Biological Diversity provides space to reflect…

21 May 2020

Life on $1 a day in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum – photo report

In recent years, photographer Zsuzsánna Fodor, a Hungarian in Romania, has been working on refugee routes and in conflict zones. Last…

21 May 2020

I am indigenous, a woman and living with a disability. Covid-19 highlights the intersectional discrimination I face daily.

Christine Kandie is a representative of the Endorois community. She champions women’s land rights and the rights of persons with…

20 May 2020

Looking beyond numbers – the right to dignity for those who died trying to cross the Mediterranean

The wrestling match over refugees between the European Union and its neighbouring countries has taken on a new and violent form a couple of…

20 May 2020

Lack of disaggregated data a glaring gap in Southeast Asia’s Covid-19 response

By Sam Cartmell, MRG Southeast Asia Programme Coordinator for the ‘Enhancing Quality and Universal access to Indigenous People’s…

14 May 2020

Covid-19 and Minorities: A Test for Our Humanity

First, while the virus is potent, its ability to kill is weaponised by poor governance, yielding vastly different outcomes in similar…

13 May 2020

Declaration of Solidarity with Indigenous Batwa Prisoners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED ORGANIZATIONS, express our deep concern about the complete lack of judicial due process in the sentencing of six…

12 May 2020

While we all spoke about Covid-19, Algeria passed two worrisome laws in the blink of an eye

On 21 April 2020, the Algerian Ministry of Justice presented a draft Law on Preventing and Combating Discrimination and Hate Speech before…

11 May 2020

Joint NGO letter on UN human rights treaty bodies during the Covid-19 pandemic

This letter on UN human rights treaty bodies during the Covid-19 pandemic was addressed to the Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty…

11 May 2020

The Tunisian Organisations working to protect Sub-Saharan African Migrants from eviction in the time of Covid-19

As the world continues to face the Covid-19 pandemic, the claim by some that it would be “The Great Equalizer” has never been further…

7 May 2020

Call to Action: Addressing discrimination and inequality in the global response to Covid-19

In the short time since the start of this new decade, life has changed dramatically across the world. Covid-19 has now spread to more than…

5 May 2020

Religious Minorities, Privacy and Data Protection in the Fight Against Covid-19

The world is faced with an unprecedented challenge and many argue that every resource we have should be deployed as fast and as fully as…

4 May 2020

Armed group destroys medical centre for Roma in Southern Baghdad

As the Covid-19 pandemic reveals blatant inequalities between communities’ access to health, the recent attack on a medical centre in a…

1 May 2020

MRG concerned by anti-Ahmadiyya campaign online and condemns Pakistani State Minister’s participation

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is gravely concerned by a dangerous anti-Ahmadiyya campaign that has been trending on social…

29 April 2020

Covid-19 strikes South Asia’s minorities at a time when their rights are already threatened across the region, as flagship annual report makes clear

The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting South Asia during a period of sustained assaults by governments on the rights of minorities. Minorities…

27 April 2020

Statement on the Impact of the Global Covid-19 Pandemic on Persons with Disabilities from Minority, Indigenous and other Marginalised Communities

The Covid-19 pandemic presents a serious threat to persons with disabilities within marginalised communities around the world, including…

22 April 2020

Earth Day 2020

As we celebrate Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, we recognise that it is an Earth Day like no other. We are living through an unprecedented…

21 April 2020

MRG strongly condemns violent attempt to evict Maya Q’eqchi villagers despite Covid-19 crisis in Guatemala

On 13 April 2020, private security forces suspected of working for Industria Chiquibul, S.A., an agribusiness engaged in the harvesting and…

20 April 2020

Kenya should prioritize minority and indigenous communities in the fight against Covid-19

Empirical evidence shows that ethnic minority populations experience worse outcomes than majority groups during and after disasters.  They…

16 April 2020

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights Issues Landmark Judgment in Indigenous Rights Case

By Lara Dominguez, Strategic Litigation Officer at Minority Rights Group International Indigenous Communities Members of the Lhaka Honhat…

9 April 2020

South Asia Collective Covid-19 Support Grants

Note: we are no longer accepting applications for this call. While the Covid-19 pandemic affects wider society across South Asia, those who…

8 April 2020

International Roma Day 2020 – A perspective from Croatia

By David Dragoljub Orlović, Executive Director of Roma National Council in Croatia. International Roma Day is an opportunity to reflect on…

24 March 2020

Covid-19 Emergency relief must reach everyone, including minorities and indigenous peoples

By Claire Thomas, Deputy Director at Minority Rights Group International. This opinion piece was originally published in Thomson Reuters…

23 March 2020

Statement: MRG and Covid-19

We hope you and your loved ones are well and safe. As an international organisation, we have many staff and partners based across the…

22 March 2020

Call to Action: EU Member States Should Commit to the Emergency Relocation of Unaccompanied Children from the Greek Islands

Our Call to Action We, the undersigned organizations, jointly call on the governments of European Union (EU) Member States to immediately…

21 March 2020

Fishmeal factories in Gambia: a new driver for migration? – A new MRG documentary

By Sanam Monteiro, Communications Intern at Minority Rights Group International Amid the unfolding climate crisis, hostile migration…

13 March 2020

HRC43 – Egypt: adoption of UPR report

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Geneva, Friday 13th March 2020 UPR – Egypt Thank you Madame President, MRG welcomes the government…

13 March 2020

HRC43 – Iraq: adoption of UPR report

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Geneva, Friday 13th March 2020  UPR – Iraq Thank you Madam President, The adoption of this UPR…

11 March 2020

HRC43 – Minority, languages and education: reaction to the Special Rapporteur’s report

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Geneva, Wednesday 11th March 2020 Interactive Dialogue – Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues…

10 March 2020

HRC43 – MRG raises alarm at the discriminatory nature of the CAA in India

Human Rights Council – 43rd Session Geneva, Tuesday 10th March 2020 General Debate – item 4 Madam President, Minority Rights Group…

2 March 2020

MRG condemns Egypt’s crackdown on minority activists

Following a call for protests against the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in September 2019, a crackdown against…

28 February 2020

HRC43 – Side Event – Sri Lanka: A failure of justice

After 10 years of failed and stalled promises of accountability, Sri Lanka announced this session that it is withdrawing from its…

28 February 2020

HRC43 – Joint NGO call for the UN to establish an accountability mechanism for Sri Lanka

Joint Oral Statement: 43rd session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate on reports and oral updates of the High Commissioner…

19 February 2020

UN Committee to review civil and political rights in Tunisia – MRG’s submission

English below – Version française ici: Comité DDH – Tunisie – Rapport alternatif PAD – mars 2020 (FR)…

3 February 2020

Recommendations to the Ecuadorian government to improve public policies and services for persons living with disabilities who belong to minority and indigenous communities.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), the Latin American Network of Non-Governmental Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and…

21 January 2020

Two years after ‘liberation,’ civilians in Mosul denied justice, reparations – new report

Over two years since the recapture of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Iraqi civilians have been largely denied the…

15 January 2020

Discussing Education and Minority Languages at the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva

On 29th to 30th November 2019 hundreds of minority representatives gathered in the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland together…

18 December 2019

Azref i Tamezla – “The right to diversity”

A trip to Southern Tunisia By Silvia Quattrini (Middle East and North Africa Programmes Coordinator) Tamazret is a village in Southern…

18 December 2019

Leaving no one behind: Sustainable Development Goals and persons with disabilities in Uganda

In adopting the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN General Assembly envisaged a just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive…

12 December 2019

MRG condemns passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, calls on the Indian government for its repeal

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) condemns the passage of a new Citizenship Amendment Bill by India’s Parliament which introduces…

10 December 2019

Marginalized and violated: Minority and indigenous women are ignored victims of gender-based violence

By Hamimu Masudi, Media Officer at Minority Rights Group Africa When Faith Loyce Nangiro graduated with a Bachelor’s of Medicine and…

10 December 2019

There’s an epidemic of mass distraction, it’s time to focus on issues that matter – MRG’s message on Human Rights Day

By Joshua Castellino, Executive Director of Minority Rights Group International As Human Rights Day dawns upon us, it is worth reflecting…

4 December 2019

An African perspective on migrants and migration in Senegal

Photo: A child pauses for a photo in Saint Louis, Senegal. © Jana Cavojska  By Hamimu Masudi, Media Officer at Minority Rights Group…

25 November 2019

As the UN anti-racism committee starts its 100th session, NGOs celebrate achievements and stress enormous challenges ahead

Joint NGO Statement for the opening of the 100th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Geneva…

13 November 2019

Senegal: the impact of the climate crisis on the fisher community of St. Louis

By Carl Söderbergh, Director of Policy and Communications at Minority Rights Group International How to describe an absence? That was the…

9 November 2019

Opening the Kartarpur Corridor is a symbol of peace and respect between religions and deserves applause, says MRG

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), in solidarity with like-minded organisations* in India and Pakistan, welcomes the decision by…

1 November 2019

Six months on, there is still no accountability for attacks on refugees and asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka – new report

There has still been no police investigations into the threats and violence faced by refugees and asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka in the…

23 October 2019

The Turkish minority in Greece must be recognized and free to enjoy their rights, says new report

Greek authorities must take immediate steps to recognize the Turkish minority in Western Thrace and remove all barriers to the full…

21 October 2019

UN Committee to review the rights of women and girls in Iraq – MRG’s submission

The situation of women’s and girls’ human rights in Iraq will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of…

10 October 2019

Minorities and indigenous peoples at the frontline of climate change

We all know this trendy little thing called climate change. We read the articles, go to the Fridays for Future strikes and sometimes even…

4 October 2019

MRG and Lex Justi urge inclusion of minorities in the draft treaty on business and human rights

As a draft binding instrument on business activities and human rights is being negotiated in Geneva, Minority Rights Groups International…

20 September 2019

UPR – MRG’s recommendations for the reviews of Iran, Iraq and Egypt

Ahead of the 34th session of the Universal Periodic Review, Minority Rights Group and its partners are sharing suggestions of…

18 September 2019

HRC41 – Side Event – BEYOND THE VEIL: Women’s rights in today’s Iran – recommendations for the UPR

MRG, Ceasefire Center and the Center for Supporters of Human Rights (CSHR), are hosting a side event on women’s rights in Iran, to…

17 September 2019

Journalists reflect on MRG-organized field-trip under “Media, Minorities, and Migration” programme

Every few months Minority Rights Group takes journalists interested in the topic of migration directly to the field. Thanks to our network…

17 September 2019

Beyond the veil – women in Iran continue to face discrimination in all areas of society, says new report

The human rights environment for women in Iran continues to be characterized by inequality and exclusion in all areas of Iranian society,…

10 September 2019

HRC42 – MRG and others raise alarm at the situation in Assam, India, that “could now lead to the biggest mass disenfranchisement of the 21st century.”

UN Human Rights Council, 42d session   General Debate – item 2 Tuesday 10 September Mr. President, Madame High Commissioner, Our…

9 September 2019

HRC42 – IDSN and MRG on the right to water and caste-based discrimination

Human Rights Council – 42nd Session Geneva, Monday 9th September 2019 ID with the SR on right to safe drinking water and sanitation –…

9 September 2019

HRC42 – IDSN and MRG call attention to the role played by decent-based discrimination in modern slavery

Human Rights Council – 42nd Session Geneva, Monday 9th September 2019 ID with the SR on contemporary forms of slavery – item 3 Madame…

9 September 2019

MRG joins 124 NGOs condemning mass-disenfranchisement in Assam

On 31 August 2019, the Indian state of Assam published the final version of the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC). An act of mass…

23 August 2019

Lives of indigenous people living in the burning Amazon must be top priority at G7 summit, says MRG

As the world responds with outrage and calls for action to address the record number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, the…

16 August 2019

Indigenous Communities in Uganda Mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

By Geofrey Sabiiti One week ago today, Minority Rights Group Africa (MRGA) joined civil society organisations (CSOs) in Uganda to…

9 August 2019

Celebrating Languages on Indigenous Peoples Day 2019

Silvia Quattrini is the Middle East and North Africa Programmes Coordinator at Minority Rights Group International. Every year, August 9th…

8 August 2019

UN Committee to review the rights of persons with disabilities in Iraq – MRG’s submission

For the first time, the situation of persons with disabilities in Iraq will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with…

31 July 2019

Who Belongs Where in Northeast India, and Who Should Decide?

By Joshua Castellino On 31 August 2019, a process lingering since 1985, may be brought to a close. This might seem like an overdue closure…

30 July 2019

MRG and its partners welcome the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations against Mauritania

On 25 July 2019, the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) released its new periodic report on Mauritania’s compliance with the ICCPR. MRG,…

25 July 2019

Call for local advocacy projects: promoting accountability and inclusive citizenship of religious minorities across South Asia

The South Asia Collective, a regional network of researchers, activists, and organisations from across South Asia is looking to support…

18 July 2019

“It’s Ogoniland today, but it could be your home tomorrow”

Lazarus Tamana, the European Coordinator for the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People was recently interviewed by Rowen Siemens,…

15 July 2019

Mauritania: Authorities must stop using arbitrary arrests to crackdown on anti-slavery and anti-discrimination activists

On 3 July 2019, Ahmedou Ould Wediaa, a prominent anti-slavery activist, journalist and member of the opposition party (Tawassoul) in…

8 July 2019

HRC41 – MRG statement on extractivism and racial discrimination

Human Rights Council – 41stSession Geneva, Monday 8thJuly 2019 ID with Special Rapporteur on racism – item 9 Thank you Mr….

3 July 2019

HRC41 – NGOs raise alarm at the imminent risk of mass deprivation of nationality and arbitrary detention in the Indian state of Assam

UN Human Rights Council – 41st Session Geneva, 3 July 2019 – General Debate – item 4 Mr. President, Minority Rights Group,…

2 July 2019

DRC: The admissibility decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on a case involving the eviction of indigenous people from their ancestral lands represents a beacon of hope

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and Environment Natural Resources and Development (ERND) welcome the adoption by the African…

1 July 2019

A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Since the Adoption of ILO Convention No. 169

By Lara Dominguez, Legal Fellow at Minority Rights Group International On the eve of the Seventy-Sixth Session of the International Labour…

27 June 2019

HRC41 – Side Event – Integrating a Human Rights Perspective in Climate Action

MRG is co-hosting a side event calling for the Integration of a human rights perspective in climate action, to be held in the margins of…

27 June 2019

Climate change further reinforces inequalities and disproportionately affects minorities and indigenous peoples, according to MRG’s annual trends report

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) launches today the 2019 edition of its annual ‘Minority and Indigenous Trends’. This year’s…

25 June 2019

HRC41 – MRG concerned by the situation of Muslims, refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka

Human Rights Council – 41stSession Geneva, Tuesday 25thJune 2019 General Debate – item 2 Mr. President, MRG echoes the concern…

20 June 2019

HRC41 – #NoCasteLeftBehind – Side Event on Dalit Women and Gender Justice

MRG is proud to support a side event organized by IDSN and IMADR, together with Human Rights Watch, Anti-Slavery International, Lutheran…

12 June 2019

Minority rights deteriorate across South Asia

Pakistan remains in the top ten in our Peoples under Threat ranking: situated 9th in the world, it sits sandwiched between Ethiopia and…

12 June 2019

Hungarian Development Journalism Award 2019

András Földes, a journalist at Index.hu is awarded this year’s Development Journalism Award 2019, an award founded by Minority Rights…

5 June 2019

Two years on, Kenya has yet to implement judgment in Ogiek case – MRG Statement

MRG regrets that two years on, the government of Kenya has yet to implement the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ judgment in…

4 June 2019

Responding to Canada’s Genocide Against Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: A Settler Roadmap

Photo: An October 4, 2017, vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, highlighted the…

3 June 2019

Peoples Under Threat 2019: The role of social media in exacerbating violence

The use of social media by repressive states and extremist groups is adding directly to the threats faced by some of the world’s most…

3 June 2019

UN Committee reviews Mauritania’s compliance with civil and political rights – MRG, ASI and SOS Esclaves’ Submission

Mauritania will see its laws, policies and state practices reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee at its 126th session, in July 2019, to…

30 May 2019

Virtual Advice Centers: A tool to safeguard Roma rights in Macedonia

This blog is written by Mila Georgievska, who at the time of writing was the Legal Intern on the project “From Action to Equal Rights…

23 May 2019

A Portrait of Power and Resistance Among One of Africa’s Last Hunter-Gatherer Populations

Living in Kenya’s Mau and Mont Elgon Forests are the Ogiek — one of East Africa’s last hunter-gatherer populations. The name…

15 May 2019

NO RISK OF SPOILER: This is GTW …not GoT!

I still can’t really believe that it is IT! Global Team Week is happening! We have been dreaming of it for the last 3 years (that is…

15 May 2019

A Message to the World on Our 50th Birthday

The year was 1969. The world was changing. Old wrongs were being righted, but were new problems being simultaneously created? David Astor,…

9 May 2019

Sri Lanka – Joint urgent appeal to provide protection for refugees and asylum seekers

We, the undersigned organisations, write with concern for the safety of refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka in the wake of the Easter…

8 May 2019

EU funds report on Roma community in Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine With Ukraine’s current Roma Integration Strategy ending in 2020 and given the alarming 2018 anti-Roma violence, the EU…

3 May 2019

MRG, Environnement Ressources Naturelles et Développment, and Rainforest Foundation Norway strongly condemn killing of a Batwa man and park guard in DRC national park and demand a prompt investigation

On 23 April 2019, Matabishi Teso Nabukonjo, an indigenous Batwa man was shot dead in the outskirts of the Kahuzi Biega National Park (PKNB)…

2 May 2019

Vital step forward in achieving justice for Roma victims violently attacked across Ukraine

Ukrainian human rights lawyers Yuliia Lisova and Vladymyr Kondur have serious reasons to be happy. The new and important decision of the…

1 May 2019

MRG Celebrates 50 Years of Defending Diversity

Today Minority Rights Group International (MRG) kicks off its 50th anniversary celebrations with a year-long campaign that highlights a…

24 April 2019

MRG strongly condemns violent attacks in Sri Lanka, calls on the government to ensure the safety of the country’s religious minorities

As the death toll rises in what is being called the deadliest attack in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago, Minority…

17 April 2019

A reflection of Israel’s stance on African asylum seekers and migrants

Israel seeks strategic relationships with African governments while the marginalisation of Africans persists within its own borders. Over a…

17 April 2019

US blocking of Gay McDougall for UN anti-racism committee is a major setback for the fight against racism, says MRG

The decision of the government of the United States of America (USA) not to back the candidature of Ms. Gay McDougall for the United…

15 April 2019

Compulsory Purchase Order against north London market threatens a vital cultural space for London’s Latin American community, says MRG

The decision made by the UK’s Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Secretary of State) to confirm the…

11 April 2019

‘Kwibuka’ – to remember. MRG joins in commemorating the Rwandan genocide

This week marks the start of the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) joins the Rwandan…

8 April 2019

“More than a flower in Romani hair” – International Roma Day 2019

By Anna Alboth, Media Programmes Coordinator at Minority Rights Group Europe. International Roma Day is a day to celebrate Romani culture….

8 April 2019

A Partnership for All – International Romani Day 2019

International Roma Day is a day to celebrate Romani culture. But for MRG and Chirikli ‘Roma Women’s Fund’, we celebrate Roma…

28 March 2019

UPR of Iran – MRG, Ceasefire and CSHR’s submission

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), the Ceasefire Center for Civilian Rights and the Center for Supporters of Human Rights (CSHR)…

28 March 2019

UPR of Egypt – MRG’s submission

Minority Rights Group International has submitted a written contribution ahead of the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Egypt,…

28 March 2019

UPR of Iraq – MRG and Ceasefire’s submission

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the Ceasefire Center for Civilian Rights have submitted a written contribution ahead of the…

28 March 2019

UPR of Bosnia and Herzegovina – MRG’s submission

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), has submitted a written contribution ahead of the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of…

26 March 2019

‘It’s here! Romani sexual dissidence.’ – MRG launches new multi-media report on gender and sexual diversity in Spain’s Gypsy community

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) has today launched a new multi-media report exploring gender and sexual dissidence and diversity…

23 March 2019

Pueblito Paisa and the Displacements Faced by its Latinx Community: The Long Term Threats Posed by London’s Gentrification for the Capital’s BAME Minorities

Isabelle Bollekens is an intern in MRG’s Legal Department, and an MSc graduate in Law, Anthropology & Society from the LSE. In…

22 March 2019

Are campaigners putting planetary concerns before people?

Indigenous communities are protectors of forest, yet they are being forced out by groups including environmental campaigners. India has a…

20 March 2019

HRC40 – Ukraine: MRG and Chirikli call for respect for Roma rights

UN Human Rights Council 40th session Oral Update of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights Ukraine – item 10 Thank you…

13 March 2019

HRC40 – Minority Forum: SOS Esclaves’ statement on statelessness in Mauritania

UN Human Rights Council, 40th session Interactive Dialogue – Special Rapporteur on the rights to adequate housing (item 3) Je suis…

13 March 2019

HRC40 – SR on minority issues: MRG’s call for a better inclusion of non-Tswana tribes in Botswana

UN Human Rights Council, 40th session Interactive Dialogue – Special Rapporteur on minority issues (item 3) Thank you Mister…

12 March 2019

HRC40 – MRG and ISI urge the HRC to pay attention to the risk of mass deprivation of nationality in Assam, India

UN Human Rights Council, 40th session General Debate – item 4 (Situations deserving the attention of the Council) Thank you Mr….

4 March 2019

HRC40 – SR on Adequate Housing: MRG’s statement on forced displacement of minorities in Egypt

UN Human Rights Council, 40th session Interactive Dialogue – Special Rapporteur on the rights to adequate housing (item 3) Thank…

27 February 2019

An uncertain future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon – New report highlights challenges of life in exile and barriers to return

Syrian refugees living in Lebanon are still caught in a precarious existence and in desperate need of stability, security and basic…

21 February 2019

Revoking Shamima Begum’s citizenship breaches her human rights, say MRG and ISI

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) are deeply concerned with the UK Home…

20 February 2019

Hate Speech, Interethnic Violence and ‘Muslim-Free’ Villages: The Rohingya Crisis in an Era of International Indifference

In Myanmar’s Rakhine State the Rohingya minority, predominantly Muslim, has been subject to the most horrifying human rights violations….