Structural discrimination: UN expert body to discuss “the new face of racial discrimination”

GENEVA (9 April 2010) - The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent* will meet at UN Headquarters in Geneva, from 12-16 April, to focus on the new obstacles imposed by structural discrimination on access to health, education and justice for people of African descent.

“Structural discrimination happens when the legal regime and institutional structures seem to afford equal enjoyment of rights to all citizens but, in effect, deny the enjoyment of their rights to one or more sectors of society,” said the Group’s current head, Mirjana Najcevska.

“Racial discrimination is acquiring a new face,” warned the human rights expert, noting that the Group documented structural discrimination during its missions to Belgium, Ecuador and the USA. “This kind of discrimination is not necessarily more open, direct or visible, but indirect, systematic and persistent.”

In a statement** published in January at the end of its USA visit, the Working Group expressed its concern about “the ongoing structural discrimination that cannot be effectively addressed with the existing mechanisms and legislation.”

“Societal attitudes that normalise discriminatory behaviour are an important element of structural discrimination,” said Ms. Najcevska. “One way of addressing this hidden discrimination is the effective use of affirmative action measures.”

The Working Group will widen the debate with presentations by invited expert panellists, who will help developing specific recommendations to fight structural discrimination against people of African descent.

The 9th session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent will take place in Geneva, at the UN Palais des Nations, Room XXI, between 12 and 16 April.

The Group was established by the then Commission on Human Rights on 2002 to work for the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world. The UN expert body focuses, among other things, on promoting full and effective access to health, education and the justice system by people of African descent, and the implementation of effective measures to eliminate racial profiling.

(*) The Working Group is composed of four independent experts serving in their personal capacities: Mr. Linos-Alexander Sicilianos (Greece), Ms. Maya Sahli (Algeria), Ms. Monorama Biswas (Bangladesh), and the current Acting Chair, Ms. Mirjana Najcevska (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

(*) See the Working Group’s statement on its USA mission: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/groups/african/docs/PR_USA_Country_Visit.doc