International Dalit Solidarity Network

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2020-058-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2020
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 20.593684

Longitude: 78.96288

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
India
From Region
Type of record
Named organization
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Type of rights defended
  • Caste/Ethnic minorities' rights/Racism
Was the victim a civil servant, member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

applications for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council

Engagement with UN body
  • UN ECOSOC
Dates of engagement
For over a decade
Type of attempted engagement
  • Other
Dates of mentioned reprisals
27 January 2019
Reprisal information

received additional questions from the delegation of the Government of India in the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, the body mandated to consider applications for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In particular, IDSN was reportedly asked by the representative of India on 27 January 2020 to provide a list of all UN-related activities undertaken in 2019, and information on partners. 38 IDSN was also reportedly asked to provide details of any assistance the organization provided to its members or associates to attend any UN activities. IDSN’s application has been consistently deferred in the NGO Committee for over a decade 39 and reportedly has the longest pending application in the history of the Committee with 25 deferrals. 40 It has reportedly received 97 written questions in total from the Government of India, 41 which IDSN has reportedly answered (see OTH 16/2016 42 ; OTH 5/2017 43 ).

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Administrative reprisal
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
31 July 2020
Government response content

Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report stating that the references to IDSN, an NGO being considered by the 19-member NGO Committee in an inter-governmental process, ignores the facts, that IDSN is not based in India, and the Government is not aware of any incident of reprisal or intimidation against this organization by India. The Government noted that legitimate scrutiny of an application for a special status with the UN cannot be termed as a ‘reprisal,’ it would be grossly unfair to single out this case, and there are several other long-standing NGO applications pending before the Committee.

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
3
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2021
Follow up information provided in SG report 0
  1. The situation of the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) was included in the 2020 report of the Secretary-General174 related to its application for consultative status with the ECOSOC, which had been repeatedly deferred by the Committee on NonGovernmental Organizations, the body mandated to consider applications. 175 IDSN reportedly has the longest pending application in the history of the Committee, with 25 deferrals, 176 after having reportedly received 97 written questions in total from the Government of India,177 which the organization has reportedly answered. In July 2020, the Government stated that the references to IDSN, an NGO being considered by the 19-member NGO Committee in an inter-governmental process where several other long-standing NGO applications are pending, ignores the facts, that IDSN is not based in India, and that the Government is not aware of any incident of reprisal or intimidation against this organization by India. During the reporting period, due to constraints related to the impact of COVID-19 on the working arrangements of ECOSOC and sessions of its subsidiary bodies, the 2020 resumed session of the Committee did not take place as scheduled.178 The application of IDSN was deferred during the Committee’s 2021 regular session, pending the receipt of responses to questions posed to them by the Committee (E/C.2/2021/CRP.39/Rev.1, para. 5).
  2. On 20 August 2021, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, refuting the allegations of intimidation and reprisals on the follow up cases previously reported to which they have replied (regarding Mr. Khurram Parvez and NGOs Centre for Social Development (CSD) in Manipur and International Dalit Solidarity Network, IDSN), stating that these cases’ inclusion represents “an unfortunate testament to intransigence to consider the viewpoints of the State.” The Government noted that there are 3.4 million NGOs working in India and civil society has been well-represented in the work of the UN, reaffirming its commitment to civil society engagement. Regarding IDSN, the Government reiterated that the organization is not based in India, the Government is not aware of any incident of reprisal or intimidation against this organization by India, and that legitimate scrutiny of an application for a special status with the UN cannot be termed as a ‘reprisal.’
  3. Regarding the preventive detention of Mr. Parvez, the Government reiterated that it has been drawn from the cases registered against him Under Section (U/S) 151, 107 Code of Criminal Procedures (CRPC) for his activities against the public order and that he has been found to be instigating and executing violent acts and disturbances since 2016. The Government stated that his detention, which they state is justified by the 1978 Jammu and Kashmir Safety Act, is lawful and he is provided medical assistance and access to family with no obstacles to legal assistance, subject to security requirements.
  4. Regarding the FCRA, the Government stated the Act was enacted for the regulation of the acceptance and utilization of foreign contributions or foreign hospitality by individuals, associations or companies to ensure these funds are not detrimental to the national interest. The Financial Action Task Force requires that non-profit organizations not be used for the financing of terrorism. The FCRA registration of the CSD has been assessed and suspended as it was found to be in violation of the FCRA.
Followup Trends 0
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 0
Yes
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
2022
Follow up information provided in SG report 1
  1. The situation of the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), a Denmark-based NGO working against caste-based discrimination and for the rights of Dalits, was included in the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General. Since 2008, IDSN application for consultative status with the ECOSOC has been repeatedly deferred, limiting its engagement with the United Nations. IDSN has reportedly the longest pending application in the history of the Committee, with 32 deferrals, after having received over 100 written questions from the Government of India, to which IDSN has answered. In August 2021, the Government stated that it is not aware of any incident of reprisal or intimidation against this organization, and that legitimate scrutiny of an application for a special status with the United Nations cannot be termed as a ‘reprisal.
  2. According to information received by OHCHR, during the consideration of IDSN’s application by the Committee at its 2021 regular session on 26 May and 7 September 2021, the Government of India citing the 2019 annual report of the NGO, asked about meetings that IDSN staff held with officials and diplomats on the fringes of the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in February-March 2019, and requested information about the agenda, outcome, and participants (Questions 98 and 101 respectively). The NGO reportedly answered the questions. As of 30 April 2022, IDSN’s application for ECOSOC status remains deferred. The protracted deferral of IDSN’s application, now for 15 years, reportedly limits its access to UN bodies and entities, excluding it from attending meetings, delivering.
Followup Trends 1
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 1
No
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 2
2023
Follow up information provided in SG report 2

  1. The case of the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), a Denmark-based non-governmental organization working against caste-based discrimination and for the rights of Dalits, has been included since 2020 in the reports of the Secretary-General related to its application for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). Since 2008, the IDSN application was repeatedly deferred by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, the body mandated to consider applications for consultative status with ECOSOC, hence limiting its cooperation with United Nations bodies and mechanisms. In August 2021, the Government responded stating that the legitimate scrutiny of an application for a special status with the United Nations cannot be termed as reprisal.106

  2. On 7 December 2022, a vote by ECOSOC member States 107 granted IDSN consultative status with the United Nations along with nine other civil society organizations (E/2023/L.6). This vote overturned a previous decision by the NGO Committee at its September 2022 session refusing to grant the same nine organizations consultative status and put an end to15 years of deferrals.

Followup Trends 2
Improvement
Did the government respond? 2
No