High Commissioner’s message to Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Distinguished members of the Permanent Forum,
Delegates and participants,

It is a pleasure to address you today, as we gather in solidarity to advance the human rights of people of African descent.

Last month, we marked 60 years since the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

This milestone, together with the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, paved the way for important progress on the rights of people of African descent in many countries around the world.

But the promise of an end to racial discrimination remains unfulfilled.

Racism and dehumanizing rhetoric still permeate our institutions, communities and online platforms.

The human rights of people of African descent continue to be violated due to systemic racism affecting all spheres of their lives – including their rights to life, health, housing, education, employment, and their right to justice.

Racist violence and hate crimes are proliferating across the world.

And digital technologies are perpetuating these injustices, and deepening disparities, through algorithmic bias.

Distinguished participants,

The roots of this scourge run deep.

An estimated 25 to 30 million people were violently uprooted from their homes and communities in Africa, for the purpose of enslavement.

And colonialism’s brutal legacy persists even today.

Meaningful attempts to end racial discrimination must involve acknowledging responsibility.

States, companies, universities, religious groups, and others must acknowledge what they did to perpetuate and profit from enslavement and colonialism.

And the harm caused must be repaired.

Reparatory justice is about exposing and coming to terms with the truth of our common history.

Not erasing it, ignoring it or rewriting it.

Reparations can take various forms, from formal acknowledgement of responsibility, to apologies, compensation, and the establishment of truth-telling processes.

They may involve institutional and educational reforms, and memorializing the lasting harm inflicted on people of African descent.

They can include recognition of the contributions of people of African descent to society.

Reparatory justice is also about shaping a new, more equal future. The structures and systems built up by the legacies of enslavement and colonialism must be exposed and dismantled.

Taken together, reparatory measures can help to build trust in institutions and foster social cohesion.

Some states, regional organizations, cities, companies, religious groups, universities and museums are already taking important steps, and this is encouraging.

In 2023, the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States acknowledged and profoundly regretted the untold suffering caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

And the African Union has designated 2025 as the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”

Distinguished participants,

Confronting historical injustices is complex, but with political leadership, courage and creativity, it can be done.

People of African descent – including women, in all their diversity – must be at the centre of these processes.

Your observations and conclusions at this Forum will therefore be crucial to inform next steps.

My report to the Human Rights Council in September will focus on reparatory justice. I hope it can assist States and others in their efforts to advance on this issue. It builds on my Office’s Agenda towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality, and its recommendations.

The Second International Decade for People of African Descent is a key opportunity for progress.

So are efforts to adopt the draft United Nations Declaration on the respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of people of African descent.

You can count on my Office’s full support.

Through our Fellowship Programme, my Office will continue to empower advocates to contribute to change at home, and globally.

Amidst the turbulence and unpredictability of our world today, I strongly believe solutions to our greatest challenges lie in more unity and greater respect for human rights, not less.

My Office stands with you, to achieve meaningful change in the lives of people of African descent worldwide.

I wish you fruitful exchanges.