Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
About the mandate
The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban in 2001, adopted the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. It specifically requested the Commission on Human Rights to
- consider establishing a working group or other mechanism of the United Nations to study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the African Diaspora, and
- make proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent.
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established in 2002 by the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68 (as a Special Procedure). The mandate was subsequently renewed by the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council in its resolutions (CHR 2003/30, A/HRC/RES/9/14, A/HRC/RES/18/28, A/HRC/RES/27/25, A/HRC/RES/36/23 and A/HRC/RES/45/24).
More about the mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
Working Group members
The WGEPAD is composed of five independent experts appointed on the basis of equitable geographic representation. Members are elected for three years and can be renewed for one additional three-year mandate.
Calls for Input
Latest thematic reports
Latest country reports
Contact Information
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
OHCHR-UNOG 8-14 Avenue de la Paix 1211 Geneve 10, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 9000
Fax: +41 22 917 9008
Email: hrc-wg-africandescent@un.org
Activities
Statement by the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
31 August 2023
WGEPAD public 32nd session on “Economic empowerment of people of African descent”
1-5 May 2023, PdN, Geneva
On 1 March 2023, the Working Group filed its Amicus Curiae (Mumia Abu-Jamal) before the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Court, in Pennsylvania, USA.
UK country visit 18-27 January 2023
End of mission statement, including its preliminary findings and recommendations, 27 January 2023
Press conference video recording, 27 January 2023, London