Source: http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/UNCESCRCO/2011/3.html
Timestamp: 2017-10-23 09:41:04
Document Index: 495536759

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 3', 'art. 7', 'art. 7', 'art. 7', 'art. 7', 'art. 8', 'art. 8', 'art. 9', 'art. 10', 'art. 11', 'art. 12', 'art. 12', 'art. 12', 'art. 15', 'art. 2']

You are here: WorldLII >> Databases >> United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - Conluding Observations >> 2011 >> [2011] UNCESCRCO 3
Geneva, 2–20 May 2011
7.	While taking note of the measures taken by the State party, in particular the adoption in February 2009 of a policy framework for the sustainable development of the indigenous peoples in the north, Siberia and the far east of the Russian Federation, the corresponding action plan for 2009-2011, and the federal target programme for the economic and social development of the indigenous peoples until 2011, the Committee is concerned at the lack of concrete outcomes of the new policy, action plan and target program. The Committee is also concerned that changes to federal legislation regulating the use of land, forests and water bodies, in particular the revised Land (2001) and Forest (2006) Codes and the new Water Code, deprive indigenous peoples of the right to their ancestral lands, fauna and biological and aquatic resources, on which they rely for their traditional economic activities, through granting of licences to private companies for development of projects such as the extraction of subsoil resources (art 2, para. 2)
(a)	The State party incorporate the right of indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands into the revised Land Code and the new revised draft Law on Territories of Traditional Nature Use, and the right to free access to natural resources on which indigenous communities rely for their subsistence into the Forest and Water Codes;
9.	The Committee is concerned at the continued absence of a federal plan of action addressing the social and economic marginalization of the Roma. The Committee also remains concerned at the lack of adequate response to its request (in the list of issues) to provide detailed information on the situation of Roma settlements, and the eviction of Roma from their dwellings, and the destruction of such dwellings in cities and regions of the State party, often ordered without provision of alternative housing (art. 2, para. 2).
10.	The Committee remains concerned about the absence of a general basic law prohibiting discrimination in the State party (art. 2, para. 2).
The Committee calls upon the State party to adopt a general basic law prohibiting all forms of discrimination in the State party in addition to the laws already in existence prohibiting discrimination in specific areas, in line with the Covenant and the general comment No. 20 (2009) of the Committee on non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights.
12.	While noting the efforts of the State party, including the establishment in June 2006 of the Interdepartmental Commission on Equality between Men and Women and the adoption of the National Strategy on Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in the Russian Federation, the Committee reiterates its concerns about gender inequality in the State party, particularly with regard to participation in political and public life, which is perpetuated by harmful traditions and stereotypes about the lesser role of women in the State party (art. 3).
The Committee also recommends the State party to work with the media and other opinion makers to promote a positive, non-stereotypical and non-discriminatory portrayal of women.
15.	The Committee remains concerned about the high incidence of sexual harassment in the work place in the State party. The Committee is also concerned at the narrow definition of sexual harassment essentially as the victim performing sexual acts against his or her will (art. 7).
16.	The Committee is concerned, that women’s equal right to work is unduly restricted in the State party, with as many as 456 jobs and 36 branches of industries excluding women from certain employment sectors. The Committee is also concerned that, while this policy was originated with the intention of protecting women from unsafe work and working conditions, no assessment has been made on the real impact on women’s reproductive health. The Committee is further concerned that there has been no monitoring whether these jobs are in compliance with the safety standards in the workplace (art. 7).
17.	The Committee remains concerned, in spite of the efforts being undertaken, including the ratification of the treaty on protection of migrant workers with Uzbekistan on 28 June 2009, about the high levels of the informal economy in the State party and that illegal migration of labour is widespread, which means that a large number of people work without legal and social protection (art. 7).
18.	The Committee remains concerned, in spite of the efforts undertaken, about the low level of the minimum wage, which remains well below the minimum subsistence level and is therefore inadequate to provide workers with a decent living for themselves and their families. This problem is aggravated by the continuing practice of wage arrears in the State party (art. 7).
19.	The Committee is concerned that the relevant legislation of the State party still imposes restriction on the right to strike for workers of certain public sectors such as federal courier communications, railway workers and municipal employees, and others who do not exercise authority in the name of the State (art. 8).
20.	The Committee is concerned that section 31 of the Labour Code provides that authorization to bargain collectively can be conferred on representatives’ bodies other than trade unions, and imposes compulsory arbitration in any services determined by the federal laws of the State party (art. 8).
21.	The Committee is concerned, in spite of the information provided with regard to the various entitlements of asylum-seekers and refugees, that persons granted temporary asylum status, unlike recognized refugees, do not have access to the State healthcare facilities and services or to any social security, other than emergencies (art. 9).
25.	While noting the efforts undertaken to promote alternative family-based forms of placement of children, the Committee remains concerned, by the large number of children placed in care institutions in the State party (art. 10).
The Committee encourages the State party to continue to allocate resources to combat poverty and promote an adequate standard of living for all, and to continue to reduce the number of persons below the subsistence level down to 4–8 million by the next periodic report. The Committee further recommends the State party to adopt a national strategy integrating economic, social and cultural rights to combat poverty in line with the Committee’s statement on poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights.
27.	The Committee remains concerned, in spite of the efforts undertaken, about the problem of homelessness in the State party (art. 11).
28.	While noting the information about the free medical-care system coverage of all indigenous peoples in the north, Siberia and the far east, which includes a compulsory annual check-up at State and municipal healthcare facilities under the programme of State guarantees, the Committee is concerned about reported gaps in the ambulatory system coverage, which resulted from the new territorial reorganizations in the State party, in particular as it affected the small indigenous village of Pareny in Kamchatka which has reportedly had no access to ambulatory medical care for two years (art. 12).
29.	The Committee remains concerned about the spread of drug addiction, including by way of injection, which is the main factor for the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and tuberculosis in the Russian Federation. The Committee also remains concerned about the continued ban on the medical use of methadone and buprenorphine for treatment of drug dependence and the fact that the Government does not support opioid substitution therapy (OST) and needle and syringe programmes which are strongly recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other international organizations as effective measures for prevention of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users (art. 12).
31.	The Committee is concerned about reports that in many cases victims of maltreatment in hospitals or by physicians have not been able to receive redress either administratively or judicially (art. 12).
32.	The Committee remains concerned about the sizeable numbers of children who do not attend school in the State party (arts. 13, 14).
33.	The Committee is concerned that, in spite of the information provided by the delegation, children living in Chechnya and the Northern Caucasus reportedly remain affected in one or other way by the prevailing consequences of the ended conflict, in particular with regard to their right to education (arts. 13, 14).
34.	While noting the information on measures undertaken in the State party to ensure full enjoyment and access of cultural and leisure facilities for everyone, the Committee is concerned that some of these facilities are not fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of adequate protection in the legal system of the State party of the right of indigenous peoples in the north, Siberia and the far east, to their ancestral lands and to the traditional use of their natural resources. It is also concerned about the lack of adequate protection of their intellectual property rights and of information on intellectual property rights (art. 15).
The Committee urges the State party to extend its programme of creating a barrier-free, accessible environment to cover cultural and leisure facilities. The Committee further recommends that the State party include in the new drafts of law being developed clear and precise norms for the effective protection of the right of indigenous peoples in the north, Siberia and the far east, to their ancestral lands, natural resources and cultural heritage, including protection of their intellectual property rights to their works which are an expression of their traditional culture and knowledge.
35.	The Committee encourages the State party to consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.
36.	The Committee requests information concerning the extent of the practice of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in particular in employment, health care and education in the State party (art. 2, para. 2).
39.	The Committee invites the State party to update its core document, in accordance with the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, in particular those on the common core document, as adopted by the fifth Inter-Committee Meeting of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies held in June 2006 (HRI/MC/2006/3).
40.	The Committee requests the State party to submit its sixth periodic report, prepared in accordance with the revised reporting guidelines of the Committee, adopted in 2008 (E/C.12/2008/2), by 30 June 2016.
URL: http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/UNCESCRCO/2011/3.html