Opening address of Navathemthem Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Panel discussion on the full enjoyment of the human rights of people of African descent, Human Rights Council, Sixteenth session, 28 February – 25 March 2011

Geneva, 2 March 2011

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to open this panel discussion on the full enjoyment of the human rights of people of African descent which is being held in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent.  I congratulate the Human Rights Council for this initiative, particularly the Government of Nigeria that sponsored the resolution convening this panel.

The General Assembly proclaimed 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent “with a view to strengthening national actions and regional and international cooperation.”  At the center of this initiative was the promotion of the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of the people of African descent, as well as their participation and integration in all aspects of a society’s life. The promotion of greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture were also aims of the General Assembly.

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action echoed this approach.  Despite such progress, the situation faced by people of African descent remains dire. The important challenges that persist must be addressed with urgency in order to achieve the goal of the Declaration, that is, the complete eradication of racism against people of African descent and other victims.

People of African descent suffered from the abhorrent practice of the slave trade.  The Durban Declaration acknowledges that slavery and the slave trade are crimes against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transatlantic slave trade. Many years after the end of the transatlantic slave trade, people of African still endure its pernicious legacy. Racist views created and perpetuated during the slave trade era continue in the minds of the bigoted in the form of ignorant stereotypes and baseless prejudices.

People of African descent have often suffered from unequal treatment before the law. They have, for example, been subjected to incarceration and lethal violence by the police at disproportionate rates compared to other groups in many societies. In countries where they are in the minority, they often suffer harsher sentences compared to those handed down to individuals from the ethnic majority and are victims of racial profiling. They are over-represented among prison inmates in many countries.  Conversely, they are often underrepresented among judges, lawyers and other actors in the justice system.

In numerous States with a large population of people of African descent, this sector of society is among the least favored as regards access to, and levels of, education. Concerted efforts and creative solutions are needed to address this disparity, which particularly affects black girls.

The participation of people of African descent in political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in the advancement and economic development of their countries is also of fundamental importance. Too often this participation is curtailed by discriminatory practices or a lack of affirmative action initiatives. Such affirmative or positive action initiatives are necessary to give equal opportunities to historically disadvantaged sectors of society and are specifically called for in the Durban Programme of Action with regard to communities of primarily African descent.

Furthermore, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination makes it clear that special measures can be taken to achieve equality and non-discrimination.

To redress the situations of disadvantage of people of African descent, there is a need to collect disaggregated data, which is essential to paint an accurate picture of gaps that need to be filled.

While the International Year is most certainly an opportunity to discuss the many challenges that people of African descent continue to face due to racism and racial discrimination, it is also an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the myriad contributions that people of African descent have made in all areas of human endeavour. In the arts and sciences, law and politics, they have shaped the destiny and advancement of nations, and have fostered progress. History books must fully reflect such achievements.

In preparation for the International Year, my Office provided a Framework for Action to combat discrimination against people of African descent, mapping the existing activities that OHCHR pursues to support people of African descent as well as the activities that will be carried out to mark the International Year.  It also proposes a coordinated agenda to combat discrimination against this population group beyond 2011. The framework seeks to bring together what might otherwise be viewed as disparate activities into a cohesive and coherent, yet flexible, programme designed to produce concrete results.  

The first of these activities has been providing support for this panel discussion.  On 7 March, we will organise and service the 78th session of the CERD, which will include a thematic discussion of the situation of people of African descent.

A number of other initiatives will follow throughout the International Year, including making people of African descent the theme of this year’s commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the holding of relevant side events during the Human Rights Council sessions, and the creation of a fellowship programme for young people of African descent. I hope that the different activities carried out here in Geneva and around the world during the International Year will generate profound discussions of the challenges facing people of African descent and produce creative proposals for solutions. Being one of the first of the International Year’s activities, this panel, with the expertise of its participants will get our International Year off to an auspicious beginning.

I thank all of the panellists for being here today and wish you all an interesting and productive discussion.