Intergovernmental Working Group on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

About the Mandate

The Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is one of the three mechanisms established to follow up the Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban , South Africa, in 2001. The Intergovernmental Working Group was established by Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68 and approved by the Economic and Social Council in its decision 2002/270 of 25 July 2002.

Its mandate, as spelled out in operative paragraph 7 of the Commission resolution 2002/68 is to:

(a) Make recommendations with a view to the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;  

The Intergovernmental Working Group is an open-ended working group, meaning that all United Nations Member and Observer States , inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status and non-governmental organizations that were accredited for the World Conference against Racism may attend public meetings of the Working Group.

In 2022, the General Assembly though its resolution A/RES/76/226, entrusted the Intergovernmental Working Group to devote at least half of its session to the elaboration of a draft United Nations Declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent.

H.E. Marie Chantal Rwakazina is the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other International Organizations in Geneva. Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Rwakazina had been servicing as the Mayor of the City of Kigali from 2018 to 2019.

She served as United Nations Coordination Analyst with the United Nations Development Programme/One UN in Kigali from 2013 to 2018 and at the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities from 2008 to 2013. Ms. Rwakazina worked also at the national University of Rwanda in Huye from 2000 to 2008, as Lecturer and Head of the Department of Applied Statistics.

Ms. Rwakazina has a master’s degree in development studies from the Fondation Universitaire Luxembourgeoise, Arlon, Belgium and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the National University of Rwanda, Huye.

Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

NGOs’ participation in the sessions of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action –Resolution of the General Assembly, A/RES/76/226, Seventy-sixth session, 10 January 2022

From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance – Resolution A/HRC/RES/42/29 of Human Rights Council, 42nd session, September 2019