Notes

CERD: Tunisia must immediately stop hate speech and violence against sub-Saharan migrants

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today issued a statement based on early warning measures and urgent procedures, urging the highest authorities in Tunisia to publicly condemn and distance themselves from racist hate speech by politicians and public and private figures.

The Committee also calls on the State party to combat all forms of racial discrimination and racist violence against black Africans, in particular immigrants from sub-Saharan origin and black Tunisian citizens.

Hate Speech by Head of State
At the end of February, the Tunisian head of state made shocking remarks that "hordes of illegal immigrants" from sub-Saharan African countries were part of a "criminal plan to change Tunisia's demographics" and were "violent and unacceptable". Crime and Practices". According to the committee, such statements violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination .

Hundreds of migrants from Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and Senegal have decided to return to their countries in the face of violence following remarks by the Tunisian head of state. Many other migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan origin were forcibly evicted from their homes or lost their jobs. They therefore sought protection and assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR.

Detention, violence, arbitrary arrest
There has also been a marked increase in the arbitrary detention of migrants from sub-Saharan origin across Tunisia since early February. Many of them continue to be detained in administrative detention facilities, including in Ouardia, where some migrants have been held for more than 18 months.

There have been reports of an increase in racial or xenophobic hate speech against migrants from the sub-Saharan African country, including by non-public figures and political parties, on social networks and other media in Tunisia, particularly following shocking statements by the Head of State Racist hate speech by members.

The Committee is deeply concerned that this wave of hate speech and stigmatization has led to acts of violence against migrants, such as physical attacks, forced evictions from homes, and dismissal from jobs.

The Committee is appalled by reports that, in a campaign to "strengthen security structures and reduce illegal presence in Tunisia", law enforcement officers have arbitrarily arrested large numbers of migrants, including women, children and students, without all procedural safeguards.

call to combat racism
The Committee urges the Tunisian authorities to refrain from making statements that promote racial hatred and racial discrimination against immigrants from sub-Saharan countries, and to proactively condemn anyone who makes such statements.

At the same time, the Committee demands that Tunisia immediately cease arrests and mass detentions of these migrants, release those arbitrarily detained, especially women and children, and allow refugees to apply for asylum.

The committee also asked Tunisia to investigate cases of migrants being arbitrarily expelled from work or residence and to take other measures to prevent and combat all forms of racial discrimination.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is an independent expert body that monitors States parties' implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The main purpose of its early warning measures and emergency procedures is to consider situations that may escalate into conflict in order to take appropriate preventive action and avoid comprehensive violations of human rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

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WHO: About one in six adults worldwide is affected by infertility

A new report released today by the World Health Organization estimates that infertility affects around 17.5% (about one in six) of the global adult population, and these patients urgently need affordable and high-quality reproductive health services.

Infertility is a male or female reproductive system disease, refers to more than one year without any contraceptive measures, normal sex life but no successful pregnancy. The disease causes great suffering, stigma, and economic burden to people, and negatively affects their mental and psychosocial well-being.

global challenge
The report showed that differences in the prevalence of infertility between different regions were small, with a lifetime prevalence rate of 17.8% in high-income countries and 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries. This shows that infertility has become a major global health challenge.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The report reveals an important fact that infertility does not discriminate between people. Such a high proportion of the population affected speaks to the need to expand access to reproductive health services , and ensure that infertility is no longer marginalized in health research and policy in order to provide safe, effective and affordable reproductive health care to those who want to become parents.”

High treatment costs create equity issues
The report also notes that despite the seriousness of infertility, solutions for preventing, diagnosing and treating infertility, including assisted reproduction such as in vitro fertilization, are Technology, still underfunded, leaves many behind.

Currently, patients in most countries need to pay for infertility treatment at their own expense, which imposes a huge financial burden on them, especially for patients in the poorest countries. High costs often make treatment unaffordable, or impoverished for seeking treatment.

Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research at WHO, said: "The catastrophic high costs of millions of people seeking treatment has become a major equity issue and often traps those affected in medical poverty. Better policies and public financing can significantly improve access to treatment and protect less well-off households from falling into poverty as a result.”

need more relevant data
The report's assessment is based on an analysis of 133 infertility studies worldwide, conducted between 1990 and 2021.

Although the report provides strong evidence to prove the high incidence of infertility in the world, the report also highlights the chronic lack of relevant data in many countries and some regions. The report calls on countries to provide more data on infertility, disaggregated by age and cause, to help quantify the problem and thereby better understand who has care needs and how to reduce risk.