On 13 June 2016 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all countries to end the discrimination that threatens the wellbeing, health and even the lives of people with albinism. This is to provide programmes that will enable them to play a full part in society.

Albinism is found in every country and society in the world, regardless of people’s ethnicity or gender. According to the UN, discrimination and stigmatization of people with albinism also exists to varying degrees all over the world. Albinism has often been subjected to mystification, triggering erroneous beliefs and myths.

The UN is also highlighting that thanks to the long history of discrimination and stigmatization of albinism, in some places, people with this condition may live in abject poverty, without access to basic services like accommodation, healthcare and education. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development pledges to leave no one behind. That includes people with albinism.

In 2013, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling for the prevention of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism. In response to the call from civil society organizations advocating for persons with albinism to be considered a specific group with particular needs that require special attention, the Council created the mandate of this Independent Expert in March 2015.

What is Albinism?

Albinism in humans (from the Latin albus, “white”) is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme involved in the production of melanin. It is the opposite of melanism. Unlike humans, other animals have multiple pigments and for these, albinism is considered to be a hereditary condition characterised by the absence of melanin in particular, in the eyes, skin, hair, scales, feathers or cuticle.