UN chief calls for action against racial discrimination
‘The world must confront the enduring consequences of slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination through concrete measures,’ says Antonio Guterres
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for “concrete measures” to address the enduring consequences of slavery, colonialism and racial discrimination.
“The world must confront the enduring consequences of slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination through concrete measures to deliver reparatory justice grounded in international human rights law,” Guterres said.
Addressing a high-level UN meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Guterres said racial discrimination takes many forms, including inequalities, discriminatory laws and institutions, and the denial of rights and equal opportunities.
He also warned that digital technologies are amplifying hate speech and disinformation, perpetuating “lies and harmful stereotypes” and fueling violence and abuse.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” he said.
Guterres urged governments to strengthen and implement anti-discrimination laws, dismantle systemic discrimination and invest in inclusive societies.
He called on technology companies to identify and address bias in artificial intelligence systems and ensure digital technologies promote equality and inclusion.
Guterres also urged countries to make the second International Decade for People of African Descent “a decade of concrete change” and called for universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The United States is boycotting the commemoration, with its UN ambassador for management and reform, Jeff Bartos, saying Washington would not participate in what he described as the Durban conference’s “poisonous legacy.”
Bartos also urged other countries to reject what he called the conference's anti-American and anti-Western legacy.
The US withdrew from the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban.
Bartos said Washington's decision was linked to what the US viewed as the conference's treatment of Israel and Western countries.
