USA: UN independent expert on racism to conduct first visit

GENEVA (30 October 2023) ̶ The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Ashwini K.P. will conduct her first official visit to the United States of America between 31 October and 14 November 2023.

During the visit, the Special Rapporteur will assess key trends and issues around racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and examine the legislative, policy and institutional frameworks in place.

The expert will visit Washington DC, Detroit, Flint, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Atlanta where she will meet with federal and state authorities, individuals from racial and ethnic groups, civil society organisations, service providers, academics, and other stakeholders.

She will hold a press conference at 11:00 (EDT) on Tuesday 14 November at the Press Briefing Room, UNHQ, 405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017, United States. Access will be strictly limited to accredited journalists. For inquiries, please contact hrc-sr-racism@un.org or call +41792010123.

The Special Rapporteur will present a report including findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in June 2024.

ENDS

Ms. Ashwini K.P. (India) was appointed by the Human Rights Council as the 6th Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in October 2022. She took up her functions on 1 November 2022.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.