Background

The Working Group of experts on people of African descent will focus its 32^nd public session on Economic Empowerment of people of African descent (1-5 May 2023 at Palais des Nations, United Nations HQ, Geneva, Switzerland).  This thematic session will examine how systemic racism and global economic structures and financial mechanisms affect the economic and financial empowerment of people of African descent, tracing the trajectories and impact of enslavement, colonization, segregation, and apartheid over the centuries, and providing an analysis of anticipated future trends to draw conclusions and make recommendations. The Working Group further intends to draw attention to the agency of people of African descent in their own economic empowerment. It will also address reparations for people of African descent. All interested Member States and other stakeholders are warmly invited to join the session in person or virtually. For further information including the concept note and agenda, please see the 32^nd session webpage. The Working Group will also submit a report on Economic Empowerment of people of African descent to the 54^th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council and to the 78^th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023.

Key questions and types of input sought

In advance of its 32th public session on Economic Empowerment of people of African descent, the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent invites all interested stakeholders to provide input on any of the six topics considered during this session:

1. Trade and Trafficking Routes: Then and Now;   

2. The World’s 600 years Black Debt: from Exploitation to Economic Emancipation;

3. Economic Empowerment and the Realisation of Human Rights;   

4. The Role of the Global Economic and Financial Architecture and Mechanisms;

5. Education and Enterprise: Black Agency and Achievements;   

6. From Rhetoric to Reality:  Reparatory Justice for people of African descent.

The Working Group also welcomes input regarding the following:

• Issues and challenges affecting the realisation of economic empowerment of people of African descent, including:

• • The impact of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other human rights violations, on the economic empowerment of people of African descent;
  • Racial and economic inequalities faced by people of African descent;
  • The impact of racial discrimination the right to development of people of African descent;
  • Barriers to economic empowerment faced by people of African descent in the areas of  education, employment, financial services, health and participation in public life;
  • The historical root causes of economic disenfranchisement, inequalities and extreme poverty, including the legacies of enslavement, colonisation, segregation and apartheid;
  • The role of the global economic and financial architecture;

• • The linkages between economic disenfranchisement and trafficking in persons.

• Examples of approaches and initiatives by Member States, local governments, the international development community, UN agencies, funds and programmes, national human rights institutions and equality bodies, civil society and the private sector to promote economic empowerment and development for and by people of African descent, including through reparatory justice.

• Recommendations for ensuring the full realization of economic empowerment of people of African descent and the protection of their human rights in this context, including recommendations for the draft UN Declaration on the promotion, protection and the full respect of the human rights of people of African descent.

Treatment of inputs received

Written submissions will be published on the WGEPAD 32^nd session webpage by default and contributors may be referenced in the report. If you do not wish your submission or your name to be public, please indicate you do not consent to this information being in the public domain. The Working Group is very grateful for the submissions already received following previous calls for input which have been used during previous sessions, country visits and reflected in its reports. Thank you again for your support to the mandate and protection of the human rights of people of African descent.