Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 9 of the Convention Lao People's Democratic Republic8*, **, *** Internationa
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United Nations CERD/C/LAO/16-18 International Convention on Distr.: General 28 June 2011 the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Original: English Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Reports submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention Sixteenth to eighteenth periodic reports of States parties due in 2009* Lao People’s Democratic Republic8*, **, *** [18 February 2011] * This document contains the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth periodic reports of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic due in 2005, 2007 and 2009 respectively, submitted in one document. For the sixth to fifteenth periodic reports and the summary records of the meetings at which the Committee considered this report, see documents CERD/C/451/Add.1, CERD/C/SR.1673 and CERD/C/SR.1674. ** This document was submitted along with the core document and should be read with HRI/CORE/LAO/2011. *** In accordance with the information transmitted to the States parties regarding the processing of their reports, the present document was not formally edited before being sent to the United Nations translation services. GE.11-43817 (E) 040711 CERD/C/LAO/16-18 Contents Paragraphs Page Introduction............................................................................................................. 1–6 4 Report methodology and structure.......................................................................... 1–4 4 Consultations with provincial administrations and civil society and mass organizations ........................................................................................... 5–6 4 I. Article 1: Ethnic policy .......................................................................................... 7–10 4 A. Education........................................................................................................ 11 5 II. Article 2: Social development policies................................................................... 12–28 5 A. Policy for eliminating racial discrimination ................................................... 12–15 5 B. Socio-economic policy ................................................................................... 16–28 6 III. Article 3: Measures for prevention, prohibition and eradication of apartheid ............................................................................................................. 29 8 IV. Article 4: Policy and laws against racial discrimination ........................................ 30–31 8 V. Article 5: Measures guaranteeing equality............................................................. 32 9 A. Article 5 (a) – Equal treatment before the courts and other organs administering justice ........................................................................... 33–36 9 B. Article 5 (b) – The right to physical inviolability........................................... 37–39 10 C. Article 5 (c) – Political rights ......................................................................... 40–44 11 D. Article 5 (d) – Other civil rights .................................................................... 45–62 12 1. Freedom of movement and residence within the borders of the State...................................................................................................... 45–49 12 2. Freedom to leave and to return to one’s country ............................................ 50 13 3. Right to nationality......................................................................................... 51 14 4. Right to marriage............................................................................................ 52–54 14 5. Right to own property alone as well as in association with others ................. 55–57 15 6. Right to inherit................................................................................................ 58–59 15 7. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion; (viii) Freedom of opinion and expression; (ix) Freedom of peaceful assembly and association ...................................................................................................... 60–62 16 E. Article 5 (e) Economic, social and cultural rights .......................................... 63–90 17 1. The right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work, to protection against unemployment, to equal pay for equal work, to just and favourable remuneration...................................... 63–64 17 2. Right to form and join trade unions................................................................ 65 17 3. Right to housing ............................................................................................. 66 18 4. Right to public health, medical care, social security and social services................................................................................................. 67–77 18 2 GE.11-43817 CERD/C/LAO/16-18 5. Right to education and training ...................................................................... 78–86 20 6. Right to equal participation in cultural activities............................................ 87–89 22 7. Right of access to public places or services, such as transport, hotels, restaurants, cafes, theatres and parks .................................................. 90 22 VI. Article 6: Measures regarding protection, remedies and compensation................. 91–98 22 VII. Article 7: Measures taken in the area of education and teaching on the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination and promotion of understanding and international solidarity amongst nations, and racial and ethnic groups .......................................................................................... 99 24 1. Education curriculum ..................................................................................... 100 24 2. Mass media..................................................................................................... 101 24 3. Information on human rights .......................................................................... 102 24 4. Legal education and training .......................................................................... 103 24 5. Books on ethnic groups .................................................................................. 104–105 25 6. Human rights dialogues.................................................................................. 106–107 25 VIII. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 108 25 Annex............................................................................................................................................................. 26 Table 1: Ethnic composition of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Population .................. 26 Lao-Tai ethno-linguistic group ..................................................................................... 26 Mon-Khmer language group (32) ................................................................................. 26 Chino-Tibetan ethno-linguistic group ........................................................................... 27 Hmong-Iu Mien ethno-linguistic group (2)................................................................... 27 Table 2: Percentage of the literacy of women and men by the main ethnic groups ....................... 27 GE.11-43817 3 CERD/C/LAO/16-18 Introduction Report methodology and structure 1. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic submits this report in accordance with Article 9 (1) of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The report is the 16th and 17th of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic under the Convention. It covers the period March 2004–March 2008. It is an update on the measures it has adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention since its last report to the Committee. 2. The Report adopts a systematic approach by detailing the measures adopted under specific provisions of the Convention and addresses the issues raised by the Committee during its consideration of the last report of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 2005. 3. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic notes that material included in this report should be read and considered in the context of the constitutional, legislative and social structures in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the active policies and programmes that are in place to combat racial discrimination, as outlined in the common core document of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and previous periodic reports. Where relevant, this report will make cross-references to relevant sections of the common core document. 4. The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is firmly committed to the effective operation of the Committee and looks forward to the Committee’s consideration of this report. Consultations with provincial administrations and civil society and mass organizations 5. As indicated in the common core document, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is made up of 17 provinces, each with its own administrative agencies. Since the provincial authorities deal directly with local issues and facilitate the implementation of Government programmes and policies in the provinces, they constitute vital sources of information and aid in the implementation of the Convention. Provincial administrations were therefore consulted in the preparation of this report. 6. In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, mass and civil society