Keynote Speech Delivered at the United Nations on the Occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by Mr. Ahmed N. Reid, Member, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

Theme: “Challenges and Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – 15 years after”

March 18, 2015
United Nations General Assembly  

Your Excellency, Distinguished President of the United Nations General Assembly
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Friends

It is a great honor to be among you today. Let me express my gratitude to the President of the General Assembly, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and my colleagues on the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent for the opportunity to present this year’s keynote address under the theme “Challenges and Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – 15 years after.’

Ever since the creation of the United Nations, the noble principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” has been the cornerstone on which the international human rights system is based. The rights of all human beings should be protected without distinction to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, language or any other status. It was the strict adherence to this principle of equality and non-discrimination that led to worldwide revulsion and condemnation over the racially motivated killings of 69 unarmed men and women in Sharpeville, South Africa, on March 21, 1960, which led this United Nations in 1966, to commemorate March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  So as we approach the 50th anniversary of its commemoration by the United Nations, and the 15th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (Durban Declaration), let us reflect on the achievements to date and goals yet to be attained to make real our collective commitment to the principle of non-discrimination, and our pledge to combat racial discrimination.  

In 2013, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in General Recommendation 35 stated: “The prevalence of racist hate speech in all regions of the world continues to represent a significant contemporary challenge for human rights.” Today we are confronted with the painful reality that racism, racial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia and related intolerance continue to pervade every corner of the global landscape. Over the past 20 years, there has been a steady rise of far-right populous sentiments worldwide, and political parties with their brand of racism and xenophobia. The global financial crisis, and more recently, the movement of a large number of refugees have resulted in growing incidents of racial discrimination and xenophobia, resulting in strong anti-immigration backlash and the scapegoating of migrants, racial prejudices and stereotypes, and violence. Racism and racial discrimination pervades all aspects of our lives - from segregated schools to gentrified neighborhoods where people of African descent and other minorities are forced out of certain communities and into disadvantaged ones.  I am a living example of racial profiling, feared and deemed suspicious because of the color of my skin. I have been called the N-word, told to go back home. I have had my passport unduly scrutinized by airline personnel, harassed and humiliated by customs and immigration officials on my travels and followed around in supermarkets and department stores. The odds are great that I will have these experiences again, and again, and again.

Mr. President,

The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001), was an important step in the fight to combat these manifestations of racism and discrimination. The staging of the Conference was an acknowledgement that racism and other related forms of intolerance were global problems that require global solutions. The Declaration, which emerged from this Conference, outlined the source and contemporary consequences of racism, the victims of racism, and more importantly, strategies, by way of a Programme of Actions, to achieve racial equality.  

The Declaration acknowledged “slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, were appalling tragedies in the history of humanity, not only because of their abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude, organized nature and especially their negation of the essence of the victims.”… “Slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transatlantic slave trade.” Furthermore, it stated  “these crimes are among the major sources and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples were victims of these acts and continue to be victims of their consequences.” And, it also recognized the impact of the slave trade and colonialism on lasting social and economic inequalities.

 The Durban Conference was a significant achievement in comprehensively outlining a strategy to address historical wrongs and injustices. The strategy is embodied in the Declaration which reasserted the principles of equality and non-discrimination as core human rights, and assigns primary responsibility for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to States, while also calling for the active involvement of international and non-governmental organizations, political parties, national human rights institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society.

As a mechanism to address discrimination in all its manifestations, the Declaration called upon States to develop comprehensive national action plans to tackle racism including through reinforcing national institutions, legislation, the administration of justice, as well as by creating competent national bodies to adequately investigate allegations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

In examining the strategies put in place to achieve full and effective equality, a number of achievements attained through the implementation of the Programme of Action are worthy of mention. For example, an increasing number of States have established equality bodies supported by appropriate legislation and policies to combat racial discrimination. However, the implementation of the law also requires States to fulfill their responsibility as duty bearers as well as active involvement of civil society. Member States have been collecting disaggregated data on people of African descent, which is important to enable governments institute targeted programmes to eliminate racial discrimination. Additionally, other States have developed national action plans to combat racism and racial discrimination.

Another achievement was the creation of new mechanisms to address racism and other related issues. One such mechanism is the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. The Working Group (of which I am a member) was established in 2002 to study the impact of racial discrimination and the challenges faced by people of African descent living in the Diaspora and to make recommendations for its elimination. Another major achievement of the Declaration has been the adoption by the General Assembly of the Programme of Activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice and Development (2015-2024). It recognizes that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. The Programme of Activities for the Decade outlines several impact-oriented actions for States in three areas – recognition, justice and development – to improve the overall human rights situation of people of African descent around the world. During the Decade all stakeholders must use this opportunity and give high priority to programs and projects specifically tailored for combating racism and racial discrimination against people of African descent.

Mr. President,

While we can point to some progress since the adoption of the Durban Declaration, the rate of implementation of commitments made at the Conference to improve the lives of people of African Descent, Asians, and people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples has not been equal across States and many challenges persist that further impede implementation. As a Working Group monitoring the human rights situation of people of African descent and undertaking country level fact-finding missions, it is of great concern to see that indicators in the fields of education, employment, health, housing, infant, child and maternal mortality and life expectancy still show disadvantage and vast disparities when compare to the rest of the population.

The colonial history, the legacy of enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, and racial inequality remain a serious challenge in many countries, as there has been no real commitment by States to reparations or to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent.  This is another challenge we face in attaining the objectives of the Durban Declaration.  In its provisions for effective remedies, paragraph 158 notes: the “Conference recognizes the need to develop programs for the social and economic development of these societies and the Diaspora, within the framework of a new partnership based on the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect.” Some of the areas identified were: debt relief, promotion of foreign-direct investment, market access, technology transfer, and investment in health infrastructure which, to date, have not been addressed in their entirety.

There is a clear connection between poverty and racism. It is not a coincidence that countries that have had a history of trade in enslaved Africans, their demographic structure is such that the poorest population group is disproportionately composed of racial or ethnic minorities. Faced with systemic discrimination and invisibility, people of African descent encounter fan uphill battle in claiming their rights as rights holders, thus perpetuating multi-generational poverty.

As the development world embraces the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which is grounded in international human rights standards and has the imperative of equality and non-discrimination at its core, it provides a framework within which countries can integrate human rights into national priorities.

The United Nations system and Member States bear a tremendous responsibility to ensure that future generations may live in a world free of the scourge of racial discrimination and its manifestation in our concerted efforts to attain peace and justice.  The commitments made in the Durban Declaration will only be words if Member States fail to adopt them and to take positive actions to create equal opportunities for victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Their value depends wholly on our courage, will and determination to honor them and give them meaning.

Mr. President, as we aim to transform the world in which we live through sustainable and equitable development, let us commit to ensuring that  “no one is left behind.”

I thank you.

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CERD/C/GC/35 2013.