The 13th World Human Rights Cities Forum: Interview with Key Speakers

Ms. Stamatia StavrinakiVice

Chairperson, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 

Interviewed by youth reporters SONG Chae-eun, JANG Eun-young, BACK Ju-hyeon

They suffered human rights violations on many occasions due to inequalities, probably already in their home countries to begin with, and during the whole migratory cycle they took. They think that their life will be improved when they reach their destination country. However, sometimes, in practice, things are very different. First of all, they experience interpersonal bias and prejudice. It may even mean having lower standards of health services due to this interpersonal bias.

Also, they experience institutional racial discrimination because the laws and policies in the new country do not include migrants. They do not know their needs. They do not include them in how to provide better health care. There is also structural discrimination because the law itself sometimes makes flaws in how to protect migrants. And, for instance, sometimes, we see that some migrant women’s access to health care is even more complicated and it's not gender sensitive. The lack of, for instance, information in their languages, resulting sometimes in very severe forms of discrimination and negative outcomes in their health.

Inequalities in many cases lead to poverty, and also, poverty affects health as such. It is these multiple human rights violations that we need to consider seriously and combat as a human rights-based issue.

The first act is to inform people around you about why these inequalities exist and teach them how to identify them as well as how they also can change their mind about these issues.

Apart from raising awareness, discussing inequalities with your fellow students, your parents, your family, your friends, or anyone else and having access to data are important. Nowadays, young people have access to a lot of data online. However, it is important to distinguish between fake news and reliable news. This will help them to open their horizons and to change their minds about situations.

I think young people can also be the agents of change in their environments. Try not to be just a bystander but actively try to integrate those who might be suffering from inequalities within your group. Try to prevent any bias against them, and also actively try to change things at your level. You can actually speak up for them and also show practically that you accept them despite these inequalities. This combats bias and empowers these people. Most of all, it also empowers you because it shows that you are not just an observer of inequalities, but you have become one of the very active citizens fighting for a better future.