European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Hearing on Caste Discrimination in South Asia (April 14, 2026)

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 09:00 in SPINELLI 1E2 in Brussels, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) convened a public hearing on "Caste discrimination in South Asia." The hearing was chaired by MEP Mounir Satouri (Greens/EFA) and brought together a diverse panel including Ashwini K.P., UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism; Sandra Claassen, Director of ARISA Foundation; Pirbhu Satyani, representing the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network; and Michal Pesta, Acting Head of Division for South Asia at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The hearing examined caste discrimination as a core driver of oppression in South Asia and its implications for fundamental human rights. Panelists emphasized the need for an intersectional approach that recognizes how caste-based discrimination intersects with gender, poverty, and other forms of marginalization. A key focus was the gap in European Union policy on caste discrimination, with speakers underscoring that millions continue to be denied access to justice, education, decent work, public services, and dignity due to caste-based exclusion. Sandra Claassen highlighted that caste discrimination remains a major blind spot in business and human rights discussions, particularly regarding supply chains and corporate accountability. Ashwini K.P. stressed the importance of addressing caste discrimination through an intersectional lens, especially with regard to Dalit women's rights. In his closing remarks, MEP Satouri emphasized the need to integrate caste discrimination more systematically into the work of the European Parliament and across EU institutions.

The hearing resulted in a call for a comprehensive new European Parliament report and resolution to be adopted in 2026 or early 2027, updating the previous 2013 resolution to reflect the expanded range of EU instruments available for combating caste-based discrimination, including human rights due diligence obligations and development cooperation frameworks.