UN Committee makes anti-racism recommendations
Switzerland still needs to improve its record in fighting racism, a specialist committee of the UN said on Friday.
In particular, the country should take measures to prevent acts of discrimination by the police which sometimes occur. It added that there should be an independent complaints procedure to deal with such instances.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said that in a federal system like Switzerland’s, the central government should take a leading role in ensuring that cantons and communes brought their legislation into line with anti-racism conventions.
CERD called on the government to conduct campaigns against racial prejudice.
It also expressed concern at the role which “certain parties and political organisations” play in growing xenophobia in Switzerland.
The human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the findings, and said it hoped the Swiss authorities would set up a national plan to combat racism.
Switzerland defended its race relations record before the committee on Monday.
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