Experts on racial justice in law enforcement to discuss the impacts of new technologies on Africans and people of African descent

GENEVA — The impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, on Africans and people of African descent will be discussed at a public meeting of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement onWednesday 11 September 2024 from 10:00 to 12:00at the Palais des Nations (Room III) in Geneva.

This meeting aims to seek information and views from stakeholders on new technologies in the context of the Expert Mechanism’s mandate as outlined in Human Rights Council resolutions 47/21 and 56/13. The meeting is part of the third annual session of the Expert Mechanism that will take place from 9 to 13 September 2024.

To register for this public meeting open to all stakeholders, please go to the following link: https://indico.un.org/event/1004624/.

On 2 October 2024, during the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, the Expert Mechanism presents its annual report on its activities and the concrete steps needed to ensure access to justice, accountability and redress for excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officials against Africans and people of African descent.

The Expert Mechanism will also present reports on the two country visits carried out in Brazil from 27 November to 8 December 2023 and Italy from 2 to 10 May 2024.

ENDS

Background: The International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement was established in July 2021 by the Human Rights Council to make recommendations, inter alia, on the concrete steps needed to ensure access to justice, accountability and redress for excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officials against Africans and people of African descent. Akua Kuenyehia (Chair, Ghana), Tracie Keesee (United States of America) and Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Rescia (Costa Rica) were appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council to serve as its independent experts.

For more information, please contact the Expert Mechanism at: ohchr-emler@un.org

For media requests, please contact: Pascal Sim, Human Rights Council Media Officer, at simp@un.org or Todd Pitman, Media Adviser (investigative mechanisms), at todd.pitman@un.org