Prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 47/21, the present report contains information on developments and initiatives undertaken by States and others to address manifestations of systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent, including in the area of law enforcement, and to advance accountability and redress for victims, including for legacies of enslavement, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and colonialism.

In the present report, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights sets out promising initiatives in different countries, including measures to recognize and seek to address racism beyond the sum of individual acts and to begin to address past legacies. They reflect an increased willingness to take concrete steps to address racial discrimination endured by Africans and people of African descent, despite complex national contexts, setbacks arising from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and other major global challenges.

The High Commissioner concludes, however, that for the most part these initiatives fall short of comprehensive evidence - based approaches – grounded in intersectional and intergenerational analyses – that address systemic racism, including structural and institutional factors, in State institutions, the private sector and societal structures across multiple interconnected areas.

The High Commissioner therefore reiterates the call for States to step up the implementation of the 20 actions contained in the agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality, noting that greater political will is needed to accelerate action that delivers prompt and consequential results for Africans and people of African descent in every sphere of life.