Professor Verene A. Shepherd on behalf of CERD
It is Time for States and Societies to Address the Complex Legacy of Past Forms of Racism and Exclusion, including Colonial Exploitation and the Trade in Enslaved Africans, and Deliver Reparatory Justice | High Commissioner for Human Rights
Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the debate today celebrated the millions of voices around the globe who relentlessly – and courageously – fought racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Still today, millions of people – including Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, indigenous peoples, migrants, and national, ethnic and linguistic minorities – continued to be confronted by racism, racial discrimination, inequality and exclusion. This could often take the form of Islamophobia, religious discrimination and intolerance, affecting Muslim, Arab and other communities around the world.
Ms. Bachelet said it was vital – and urgent – that the international community united to accelerate the pace in the fight against racism and racial discrimination. States and societies must address the complex legacy and lasting consequences of past forms of racism and exclusion, including colonial exploitation, enslavement and the trade in enslaved Africans. These crimes had affected generations of women, men and children, stripping them of their humanity. It is time to deliver reparatory justice.
