The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism and Racial Discrimination has severely criticized the Tunisian government

As part of its monitoring of the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism and Racial Discrimination (CERD) examined the periodic report of the Tunisian government and held a hearing with the Tunisian delegation on 26 and 27 November 2025 at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, on the issue of racism and racial discrimination in Tunisia. The CERD also received alternative reports from NGOs, including that of the Congrès Mondial Amazigh / Amazigh World Congress (CMA), and held discussions with the NGOs.

 

The Tunisian delegation was composed of Mr. Mohamed Ben Ayed, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the delegation, and representatives from the Ministries of Justice, the Interior, National Defense, Education, Religious Affairs, Social Affairs, and Information and Communication Technologies.

 

The first expert member of the CERD to speak was Mr. Ibrahima Guissé, co-rapporteur of the Committee for the review of Tunisia's report. He noted that "there is no official data on the ethnic composition of Tunisian society, on national or ethnic minorities, or on the indigenous population". He then asked the Tunisian delegation to provide information on the socioeconomic situation of various groups, such as the Amazighs and Tunisians of African descent. Mr. Guissé also inquired whether the State recognizes the Amazigh people as an indigenous people and whether it protects their collective rights in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Tunisia endorsed in 2007.

 

The expert noted the 2020 repeal of Circular No. 85 of 1965, which prohibited the registration of Amazigh names in the civil registry. However, he observed that reports submitted to the Committee by NGOs indicate that, in practice, some municipalities still refuse to register Amazigh names. Furthermore, Mr. Guissé added, the Assembly of the Representatives of the People includes no Amazigh representatives, and there were no Amazigh representatives in the Constituent Assembly in 2014 either.

 

Mr Guissé said that the Committee is concerned by reports of latent racism rooted in the historical legacies of slavery and exacerbated by inflammatory rhetoric from political figures and the use of stigmatizing language. He also reiterated his request for information on the participation of Black and Amazigh Tunisians in political life.

 

Ms. Pela Boker-Wilson, Co-Rapporteur of the Committee, inquired whether the government had taken steps to raise awareness among the public and police and judicial officials about the importance of ethnic and cultural diversity and tolerance. She further questioned the place given to combating racial discrimination in school curricula and teacher training.

 

Another Committee member noted that in a speech on February 21, 2023, the President of the Tunisian Republic referred to migrants as “hordes of illegal migrants”, accusing them of crimes and alluding to the “great replacement” theory. This speech, he added, constituted a real turning point and opened the door to an unprecedented surge of racist violence.

 

An expert inquired about the registration of Amazigh associations and their freedom to organize their activities.

 

Following observations and questions from CERD members, the head of the Tunisian delegation spoke at length, either denying the accusations against his government or responding evasively, without providing concrete evidence to support his claims. He stated, in particular, that « the Tunisian state does not keep ethnic statistics, that there are no restrictions on parents' freedom to choose a name for their children, that Tunisia is proud to be an African nation, and that the Tunisian government is doing everything possible to instill equality in the minds of Tunisians ».

 

The head of the Tunisian delegation did, however, acknowledge that the Tunisian government "instills in pupils and students their Islamic and Arab identity", but presented this as a benefit that respects the principle of equality and not as a source of discrimination. He affirmed that Tunisia ensures "the protection of ethnic and racial minorities and works to preserve their culture and traditions". He stated that “the Ministry of Culture and other relevant institutions support cultural events aimed at highlighting the collective memory of Amazigh villages and ensuring the continuity of Amazigh identity through, among other things, activities related to Amazigh music, dance, and craft industries”. However, the representative of Tunisia did not specify which associations and activities promoting Amazigh culture had been supported by the government.

 

Finally, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) published its concluding observations and recommendations, excerpts of which are reproduced below.

 

1. The Committee requests the Tunisian government to provide it with reliable, up-to-date, and comprehensive statistics on the demographic composition of the population, based on self-reporting, particularly concerning the Amazigh ethnic minority group and Black Tunisians. It also requests the State party to produce statistics on the socio-economic situation of ethnic minority groups, particularly concerning their access to education, employment, healthcare, and housing.

 

2. The Committee recalls that the absence of complaints and prosecutions relating to racial discrimination may reveal a lack of appropriate legislation, a lack of awareness of available legal remedies, a lack of confidence in the judicial system, a fear of reprisals, or a lack of will on the part of the authorities to prosecute perpetrators of such acts. Consequently, the Committee recommends that the State party: a) ensure the effective implementation of Organic Law No. 2018-50, and effectively remove all obstacles to access to justice encountered by victims of racial discrimination and hate crimes; b) conduct public information campaigns on the rights enshrined in the Convention and on the procedures for filing complaints for racial discrimination and hate crimes; c) take effective measures to monitor and combat the spread of racist hate speech, and condemn and punish all forms of hate speech, including those expressed by political and public figures.

 

3. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt effective measures to guarantee the independence and impartiality of the judiciary from any political control or influence.

 

4. The Committee recommends that the State party: a) ensure the effective implementation of the circular issued by the Minister of Local Affairs on 15 July 2020 authorizing the registration of Amazigh first names for newborns; b) take effective measures, including special measures, to combat the marginalization and structural discrimination suffered by the Amazigh ethnic minority and guarantee its access to education, employment, healthcare, and housing; c) adopt measures to guarantee access to education in their mother tongue for members of the Amazigh ethnic minority in public schools and universities and allocate sufficient human, technical, and financial resources to ensure quality education in the Tamazight language; (d) to collect and include in its next periodic report statistics on the Amazigh ethnic minority, particularly concerning its economic, social, and cultural situation.

 

5. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt measures to ensure fair and equitable representation of Black Tunisians and the Amazigh ethnic minority in the public sector and in decision-making and high-level positions, including through special measures and by identifying and removing the obstacles faced by Black Tunisians and the Amazigh ethnic minority in this regard.

 

6. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt measures to revise school curricula to integrate the concepts of ethnic and cultural diversity and the fight against racial hatred and discrimination at all levels of education, and to ensure that history is taught in a manner that prevents the dominance of historical narratives and the creation of ethnic hierarchies. It also recommends that the State party conduct awareness campaigns among the general public, civil servants, law enforcement, and judicial authorities on the importance of ethnic and cultural diversity, tolerance, and interethnic understanding.

 

CMA, Geneva, 5 December 2025

 

 

https://www.ohchr.org/fr/meeting-summaries/2025/11/experts-committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-commend-tunisia