In the present report, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent presents the summary of discussions held at its twenty-sixth and twentyseventh sessions. During its twenty-seventh session, the Working Group discussed systemic racism and the lessons of 2020. It concluded that the year 2020 had shed light on the long-lasting systemic racism and structural discrimination that had historically placed people of African descent at a disadvantage and prevented them from fully enjoying their human rights. Urgent actions were needed to address racial disparities in health and to put an end to systemic racism in the areas of law enforcement and criminal justice. Tackling systemic racism could be achieved only through an honest assessment of the past, in particular of the consequences of the trade in enslaved Africans and of colonialism.