UN asked to declare second decade for people of African descent
Human rights experts on Wednesday urged the UN General Assembly to declare a second International Decade for People of African Descent starting in 2025 as more action is needed to combat racism and other intolerance.
They stressed that, more than ever, the world urgently needed humanity to unite and collaborate in a spirit of equality and non-discrimination.
“This demands political will to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, inequality and stratification at both the domestic and international levels. Achieving this goal means that inequalities within and among countries will need to be drastically decreased, and the legacies of colonialism, apartheid, enslavement and genocide effectively resolved,” they said in a statement.
The General Assembly proclaimed 2015 to 2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent with national, regional and global actions.
The objectives include promoting respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African descent and greater knowledge of their diverse heritage, culture and contributions to society.
“The cause of people of African descent for recognition, justice and development is a cause for humanity,” the experts stated.
They said the UN Decade, along with the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, contributed significantly to combatting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
“However, there is much more work to be done, and the momentum gained must be sustained,” they said.
They urged the General Assembly to consider proclaiming a second International Decade for People of African Descent from 2025 to 2034. This is to take further action to address systemic discrimination and legacies of the past to bring about the full recognition, justice, and development for people of African descent worldwide.
The UN Human Rights Council appointed the 13 experts and are neither UN staff nor paid for their work.
They issued their appeal on the eve of the International Day for People of African Descent.
(NAN)
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