27th Session of the UN WGEPAD - The Urgency of Now: Systemic Racism and the Lessons of 2020 (the need to achieve Targets for SDGs 1, 3, 4, 10, 16, & 17, +)

& OHCHR | Keynote Address by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet<br/>at the Inaugural European Parliament Commemoration of the European Day for the Abolition of the Slave Trade

OHCHR held a Consultation with US Civil Society on 18 February 2021 to enable contributions for the Commissioner’s forthcoming report on Human Rights Council Res. 43/1.

47th session of the Human Rights Council. OHCHR Report on Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers (A/HRC/47/53) Introduction by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Watch on 2021-07-12 HC Michelle Bachelet introduction at 47th HRC on Systemic racism continuity on Vimeo

A/HRC/47/53 responds to reports of systemic racism and the lessons of 2020 and recommends actions to be taken. In addition, you will find A/HRC/CRP, the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers, including Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General. These relate to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, for follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 2001.

OHCHR | Report: Agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality

UNESCO Global Call Against Racism (in response to COVID-19 pandemic), December 2020

Global call against RACISM (unesco.org)

The fight against racism remains a major theme to be addressed by UNESCO going forward e.g. the plight of Afrodescendant children in Americas , other main themes are the ethics of artificial intelligence, and equity which is sustainable and inclusive, according to UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, Gabriela Ramos, on 29 June 2021.

You can also watch

the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Press Conference held on 27 April 2021. See https://youtu.be/CSYcbi3gyr0 The Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent in the United States - On April 27, 2021, the International Commission of Inquiry officially released its Report, including its findings, recommendations and analysis, based on live hearings and information on over 44 cases of police maiming and killing directed at Black people in the United States. The full, 188-page report is available for download as a PDF, and its text is also available here on the Inquiry Commission website. Read and download it at this link: Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence against People of African Descent in the United States | International Commission of Inquiry (inquirycommission.org)

Further information on the US criminal justice system may be found here: Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign www.apphrc.com & here Mumia Abu-Jamal – Prison Radio

on 24 June 2021 an excellent online discussion was hosted by Brookings, that highlights academic perspectives on differences and similarities in the anti-racism struggle between the USA and France, and how we think about anti-blackness around the World. Watch here on YouTube at https://youtu.be/xlRbS6POWL8

on 25 June 2021 the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) in collaboration with its Irish counterpart (IACES) hosted the online seminar, "Confronting Racism in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the European Union, ata time of overlapping critical issues. Panellists participating in the discussion were representative of Asian and African descendant academics and policymakers living in Europe,

The following narratives respond to the question, how to ensure anti-racism norms and policies such as ICERD 1965, the RED 2000, and recently adopted Council of Europe and European Union resolutions addressing Afrophobia, are implemented by European governments. Notably, they highlight "oportunities for change and transformation",

" Racism is not new and solutions have been spelt out for centuries (however) messengers are not seen as legitimate. We are seeing a form of backlash in Europe a year after anti-racism protests following the murder of George Floyd (there is) a fixation with nation states but at the same time we talk about the EU; the solution has been to construct hard borders(...) all of this is underpinned by racism but it is not spelt out, For example, France, the French Revolution and democracy has impacted on the construction of European sociopolitical development, France is enacting legislation to curb demonstrations. Policies have to be coming from a place of empathy and understanding, such as education. How do we move on from discerning the problem to actually tackling it (access to those spaces where these issues may be discussed is very limited) ? What sort of society do we want, accepting there are different ways of being (the loss of the UK has been felt in the discourse because for all its faults the UK was very progressive on the discourse on multiculturalism, with data on racial discrimination and inequality) ? We all share the Globe, how do we find ways to live on it in a way that supports everybody, e.g. adopting unviversalism as well as pluralism (we don't know because we don't want to know)? Europe may not be the paragon of knowledge that it thinks it is, how do we learn from the people who have been pushed to the margin? "

Kékéli Kpognon, Quaker Council for European Affairs

"We all must move from allyship to coalition as a fundamental principle of democracy, where diversity at the table not only focuses on gender, but a more diverse European Union and EU member states in terms sof agencies and bodies who promote these principles , e.g through transposing ICERD 1965. The European Union's use of the principle of equality should not be seen as sameness, as that no longer works as societies become more diverse; we need to go beyond seeing equality a sameness to seeing equality as equity, i.e. positive discrimination in terms of race as exists for gender. We need to look at equality by valuing difference."

Bashir Otukoya, Irish National Anti-Racism Committee & Assistant Professor of Law, Dublin City University

Positives- finally we are beginning to have conversations with EU policymakers about slavery, colonialism, race, etc. For example, colonialism is seen as a problem of member states but not of the "virgin birth" of the European Union...the first ever European Commission discussionon on race followed George Floyd's murder and ensuing Black Lives Matter protests in European capitals which took policymakers by surprise because EU citizens were on the streets en masse; action plans on race recognise systemic racism, unconscious bias , etc and there are now EU advisers on diversity and inclusion.The urgency of the issue must stay on the table , Europe's ethnic minorities must be represented in discourse on the future of Europe.
Structural impediments include, what happens in Brussels stays in Brussels, and is (not transposed into legislation) in EU member states, nor is sanctioning of member states Islamaphobia and Afrophobia. White supremacist agenda is part of discourses without anyone calling them out, e.g. leaders of France and Austria openly xenophobic rhetoric. The credibility of the European Union requires policymakers connect with citizens from diverse backgrounds, (to) build inclusive racially aware societies (and) spaces for vulnerable groups. We need allies at the European Union level, as there are no EU leaders currently in that role.""

Shada Islam, New Horizons Project

"Covid-19 has left us all vulnerable under lockdown (however) the pandemic is giving us a chance to recognise our our differences and its effects on society. The University of Cork has only recently started a conversation on race, although Eire has seen a twofold increase in immigration. Every university in Ireland should have a racial equality forum and engage in Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter Mark. We need to draw closer to our neighbour who is radically different." Dr Amanullah de Sondy, University of Cork

Council of Europe Resolution and Report on Afrophobia (with video of debate in the Assembly)

"Racism, including Afrophobia or anti-Black racism, is still “rife in Europe”, according to PACE, but recent increased public awareness of the problem has created a “window of opportunity” for determined action to eradicate it. Approving a resolution based on a report by Momodou Malcolm Jallow (Sweden, UEL), the Assembly called on Council of Europe member States to “recognise the legacy and negative impact of colonialism, enslavement and the transatlantic slave trade” and consider introducing reparations schemes and establishing ad hoc truth commissions to help stamp out Afrophobia, as well as positive action policies. Listing a series of steps governments should take, the parliamentarians also called for the removal of “negative and stereotypical portrayals of people of African descent” from educational material and the media, including information and advertising. It urged governments to address structural discrimination – including in employment, politics, policing, access to justice, goods and services, healthcare, housing and education – and to raise awareness, fund anti-racism groups and organise cultural activities to empower Europe’s estimated 15 million Black people and people of African descent. The Assembly said the widespread protests on both sides of the Atlantic following the tragic death of George Floyd, as well as the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people of African descent and Black people, had increased public awareness of the problem, and “opened a window of opportunity that should be seized without hesitation”. Mr Jallow told the Assembly how – as a Swedish parliamentarian – he personally has faced racist abuse.

A ‘window of opportunity’ for determined action to stamp out Afrophobia or anti-Black racism (coe.int)

Runnymede Trust Civil Society Report on England to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2021.

This report was curated by the Runnymede Trust using evidence submitted by a broad coalition of civil society organisations, on the EHRCs request to conduct an independent civil society review on the state’s progress on race and racism in England over the past 4 years. This is part of a due process that occurs every 4 years to form the United Nation's assessment on England's progress regarding racial equality. The report has been compiled with evidence from over 100 civil society organisations across the country and has been endorsed by over 75 NGOs and race equality organisations. This report attempts to employ fully diaggregated equality data in compliance with SDG Target 17.18, i.e. fully disaggregated rquality data, to analyse systemic racism in the UK.

The report can be downloaded here https://www.runnymedetrust.org/cerd-2021

The following article was published by the Frantz Fanon Foundation in response to the sentencing of George Floyd's killer in June 2021.
Derek Chauvin's conviction, a step forward? (fondation-frantzfanon.com)

Attachments: