In a historic step for human rights of Communities Discriminated in Work and Descent (CDWD), Mali has officially outlawed slavery by descent through a sweeping reform of its Penal Code. On December 14, 2024, the National Transition Council approved amendments to the Penal Code that explicitly criminalise slavery and related practices, including descent-based slavery—marking a…
At the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum, history was made when Naveen Gautam, representing the Stakeholders Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) Youth Constituency, took the stage as the first Dalit youth leader to moderate a plenary session at the United Nations. His powerful remarks, delivered at the session titled “Social Development: Youth…
Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) rights expert Maria Atanasova spoke at the CSW69 Official Meeting: Interactive dialogue – Participation, accountability and gender-responsive institutions. Atanasova, a Roma woman representing the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, delivered a powerful speech calling for greater recognition and inclusion of marginalized communities at the…
On Friday, the Supreme Court of India, the country’s Apex court, dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Government of Maharashtra, one of the largest states in India, upholding a landmark judgment by the Bombay High Court. This judgment recognized intellectual property damage as compensable under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention…
World leaders gathered in New York from September 22-26, 2024, to discuss and adopt a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The Pact covers several themes such as peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth, and the transformation of…
