Learn, Speak up, Act! is a global call for concrete action against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The challenges posed by these problems are not new, neither are their solutions. What is needed is action – by governments, institutions, groups and individuals – all of us.

Education is a tool to fight racism

Everyone has the right to learn about the history of racism, slavery, and colonialism, and to be taught about human rights tools to fight against oppression, racism and discrimination.

Actions speak as loud as words

Speaking out against intolerances can lead to participation in concrete actions, both being key in the fight against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

We all are agents of change

We all have the power to tackle racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. What is necessary now is the courage, the will and the drive to act.

The path to #FightRacism

Racial profiling by law enforcement officers. Inequalities in employment, education and health exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The uptick in hate speech online and in real life towards racial and ethnic minorities. Xenophobic actions aimed at migrants and other people on the move. These are all stark reminders that the global community still has not done enough to tackle the pervasiveness of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), and the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024 (the Decade) are key frameworks and tools, providing guidance to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. These tools also address the legacy of past forms of these challenges and their current manifestations.

The UN Human Rights Office raises awareness on existing norms, documents, anti-racism bodies and even its own work on fighting racism, discrimination and related intolerance. The international community has the individual and collective responsibility to take concrete action against these challenges.

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Galvanising the power of collective action and a global consensus to address racism and racial discrimination is urgent for all of us. The unequivocal demands for change need to be heard and heeded in the halls of every Ministry, of every court, of every police station, in every country.