E/C.12/NDL/CO/4-5
implemented. The Committee recommends that these plans include specific
programmes regarding the realization of economic, social and cultural rights.
8.
The Committee is concerned by the insufficient awareness of the provisions of the
Covenant among the general public at large.
The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to
increase awareness among the public at large of the economic, social and
cultural rights contained in the Covenant, as well as of judicial or other
remedies available to individuals in the event of violations of these rights, and
encourages the State party to involve civil society and national human rights
institutions in this regard.
9.
The Committee is concerned that the training programmes for judges, law
enforcement officers, teachers, social workers and public officials do not cover the
provisions of the Covenant and their application in a systematic manner.
The Committee calls on the State party to provide systematic training on the
provisions of the Covenant and their application to members of all professions
and sectors that play a direct role in the promotion and protection of the rights
contained in the Covenant, including judges, law enforcement officers,
migration officers, lawyers, civil servants, teachers, and health-care
professionals.
10.
The Committee is concerned that there are no human rights institutions that comply
fully with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and
protection of human rights (Paris Principles) in the State party.
The Committee calls on the State party to continue its efforts to establish
national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles. The
Committee calls upon the State party to ensure that these institutions have
mandates which specifically cover economic, social and cultural rights and all
territories of the State party. The Committee draws the attention of the State
party to its general comment No. 10 (1998) on the role of national human rights
institutions in the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. Moreover,
the Committee recommends that the State party take steps towards the
accreditation of these institutions by the International Coordinating Committee
of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
11.
The Committee notes with concern that the anti-discrimination legislation of the
State party does not provide protection against discrimination in all its forms (art. 2, para.
2).
The Committee calls on the State party to ensure that the new legislation
integrating the four Equal Treatment Acts to be introduced in the Netherlands
and the new equal treatment enactments to be adopted by Curaçao and St.
Maarten provide comprehensive protection of the rights to equality and nondiscrimination on all the prohibited grounds covered by the Covenant. The
Committee further urges the State party to ensure that effective remedies are
available to victims of discrimination. The Committee draws the attention of
the State party to general comment No. 20 (2009) on non-discrimination in
economic, social and cultural rights.
12.
The Committee is concerned that migrants and persons from ethnic minorities in the
Netherlands continue to face considerable discrimination in the enjoyment of economic,
social and cultural rights, particularly with regard to employment, housing, health and
education, in spite of the measures taken by the State party. The Committee is further
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