NOTE: THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was established under the Convention to consider reports of states parties on the measures taken to give effect to the provisions of the Convention and, for those state parties that have agreed, to consider communications from individuals claiming violations of the Convention. CERD prepares annual reports for the United Nations General Assembly that include summaries of the consideration of the reports of states parties, decisions and general recommendations adopted by the Committee, and opinions of the Committee on individual communications. The reports are published as Official Records of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 18. The Convention contains the authoritative international law definition of discrimination, and its obligations are important in situations where there is little distinction between ethnicity and religion, especially in the case of minorities. In its consideration of reports of states parties, CERD has addressed a number of instances of restriction of the right to freedom of religion and discrimination of religious minorities.