Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the African Group Side event at HRC48 on the “20th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and 75 Years of United Nations Action Against Racism”

27 September 2021

Distinguished Panellists,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the African Group of States and the World Against Racism Network for inviting me to this important side-event.

Twenty years ago, the international community met in Durban, South Africa to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Eliminating these pervasive violations of human dignity, equality and rights was as urgent then and it still is now.

The inequalities and suffering they continue to generate for Africans and people of African descent; Asians and people of Asian descent; members of ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious minorities – including victims of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism; indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees and displaced people hold back all our societies, harming both sustainable development and social cohesion.

Just a few days ago, the General Assembly adopted by consensus a Political declaration entitled "United against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance". With that, Member States have once again proclaimed their strong determination to mobilize political will at the national, regional and international levels, as well as to accelerate the current momentum to make the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the protection of victims, a high priority.

I welcome this commitment.

The DDPA reminds us that "the obstacles to overcoming racial discrimination and achieving racial equality mainly lie in the lack of political will, weak legislation and lack of implementation strategies and concrete action by States, as well as the prevalence of racist attitudes and negative stereotyping". And if there is one thing that I have learned throughout my life is that when there's a political will, there is way.

And we have indeed taken recent steps to lay a strong foundation for real change.

Just last month, the General Assembly created the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent and the world celebrated the first ever International Day for People of African Descent.

In July, following our comprehensive report on racial discrimination, including in law enforcement, I put forward a four-point Agenda Towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality that I believe sets out building blocks for tangible and sustainable progress. That same month, the Human Rights Council established a new expert mechanism to advance racial justice in law enforcement.

The seventy-five years of the UN action against racism also provide plenty of insight into our advancements in combatting racism and racial discrimination and challenges to eradicate this common evil.

These are all critically important steps. The success of the anti-racism architecture of the UN, consisting of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and

other bodies and mechanisms, including the DDPA follow-up mechanisms, will only be possible through engagement, and concrete steps to implement the recommendations that have been made in these seventy five years of the UN fight for racial justice and equality.

Excellencies,

The rising tide of discrimination marked by hate speech, stigmatization, stereotyping, racism, xenophobia and intolerance, both in person and online, has been further accentuated in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

What has become obvious is that, as in many other cases, what COVID-19 has done was to put a magnifying glass in existing realities: very often, realities based on exclusion and discrimination; pervasive in our political, economic and social systems; entrenched in our public institutions.

As I have outlined in my report on systemic racism, Member States must adopt comprehensive "whole-of-government" and "whole-of-society" reforms and responses to dismantle systemic racism, which must be elaborated in comprehensive and adequately resourced national and regional action plans.

Identifying the root causes and drivers of racism and racial discrimination is crucial in this regard.

Millions of people today continue to bear the burden of past and contemporary forms of racism and exclusion, including historical denial of their humanity; the legacy of colonial exploitation; and the inhuman and criminal enslavement of generations of women, men and children of African descent.

It is in this context, and in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the General Assembly held a high-level meeting last week, on the theme "Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent."

I welcome ongoing initiatives by States, as well ascivil society and other stakeholders, in search of accountability and redress through reparatory justice for people of African descent and others, who continue to suffer from these legacies.

Reparations should be broad-based, and need to include measures aimed at restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. These may include formal acknowledgment and apologies, memorialization and institutional and educational reforms. For reparations to be effective, all these elements are needed.

And as I stressed in my address to the General Assembly last week, we should be clear though that these efforts must go beyond symbolism, and that they do require political, human and financial capital. Such costs should be seen alongside the enrichment of many economies through enslavement and exploitation – and recognition of this reality should encourage genuine consideration of substantive reparations.

As the DDPA recognizes, there is also a need to strengthen and enhance international cooperation to increase equality of opportunities for trade, economic growth and sustainable development.

Excellencies,

My Office will continue to support domestic action and international cooperation to eliminate racial discrimination and achieve racial justice, including in coordinating the International Decade for people of African Descent and supporting the implementation of the agenda for transformative change towards racial justice and equality .

The anti-discrimination agenda concerns and belongs to all of us, irrespective of race, colour, descent, ethnic or national origin, affiliation, religion or belief. Stronger efforts must be employed by all stakeholders to implement the goals laid out at Durban.

I thank you for your attention.