INGO welcomes UN report on protecting human rights of African descent groups – JURIST
Amnesty International voiced its support on Friday for a report issued by the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), stating that it “fully supports” a more detailed draft UN declaration seeking to address the “respect, protection and fulfilment” of human rights for people of African descent worldwide. Amnesty called on the international community to “support” and “commit” to the elaborated declaration by engaging with communities and individuals of African descent.
The most recent report, published last year, emphasized the DDPA’s role in strengthening the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and the Programme of Action, and the Program of Activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent to combat racial discrimination around the world. Citing concerns over increased instances of racial discrimination and hate speech, the report underscored the lack of progress made in implementing the DDPA. Specifically, the report acknowledged that postcolonial structures and practices have fueled racial discrimination, especially in wealth-creation sectors, and has contributed to increased poverty rates among people of African descent. Noting the multiple forms of discrimination faced by people of African origin, the report asserted that racialization and ethnicization can transcend race, skin color, ethnicity, and national origin to include other forms of discrimination such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, and language.
The report monitors annual global progress made toward implementing the Programme of Activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent resolution. The resolution seeks to combat racism by promoting the recognition and visibility of people of African descent, encouraging political participation of people of African descent, and monitoring states’ adoption of affirmative action policies. It also tracks progress made by member states, the UN, and other stakeholders to implement the DDPA, and recommends follow-up measures to strengthen the program. Measures include reparatory justice to overcome historical injustices, such as legacies of colonialism, slavery, the transoceanic slave trade, trafficking, and racial apartheid.
