Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

(a) Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Racial Discrimination

At its twentieth session, in 1965, the General Assembly adopted the Inter national Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (resolution 2106 A (XX)). The Convention entered into force on 4 January 1969. As at 10 March 2016, 177 States had ratified or acceded to the Convention.

Under article 9 of the Convention, the Committee reports annually, through the Secretary-General, to the General Assembly on its activities and may make suggestions and recommendations based on the examination of reports and information received from States parties to the Convention.

At its sixtyninth session, the General Assembly decided to consider, at its seventy -first session, the reports of the Committee on its eighty-fifth and eighty-sixth and its eighty-seventh and eighty-eighth sessions, the report of the Secretary-General on the financial situation of the Committee and the report of the Secretary -General on the status of the Convention. The Assembly invited the Chair of the Committee to

present an oral report on the work of the Committee and to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly at its seventy-first session (resolution 69/161).

Documents for the seventy-first session:

(a) Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on its eighty-seventh and eighty-eighth sessions: Supplement No. 18 (A/71/18);

(b) Reports of the Secretary-General:

(i) Financial situation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (resolution 69/161);

(ii) Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (resolution 69/161).

Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

At its seventieth session, the General Assembly reaffirmed the relevant provisions of the Durban Declaration and of the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference, in which States condemned the persistence and resurgence of neo-Nazism, neo-Fascism and violent nationalist ideologies based on racial and national prejudice and stated that those phenomena could never be justified in any instance or in any circumstances; recalled the request of the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2005/5 that the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance continue to reflect on the issue, make relevant recommendations in his future reports and seek and take into account the views of Governments and non-governmental organizations; and requested the Special Rapporteur to prepare, for submission to the Assembly at its seventy-first session and to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session, reports on the implementation of the resolution based o n the views collected from Governments and non-governmental organizations (resolution 70/139).

Document for the seventy-first session: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (resolution 70/139).

References for the sixty-ninth session (agenda item 66 (a))

Reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on its eighty -first and second sessions: Supplement No. 18 (A/68/18); and on its eighty-third and eighty-fourth sessions: Supplement No. 18 (A/69/18)

Reports of the Secretary-General:

Financial situation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (A/69/328)

Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (A/69/329)

Summary records A/C.3/69/SR.37-39, 43-44, 48-50 and 55 Report of the Third Committee A/69/486

Plenary meeting A/69/PV.73

Resolution 69/161

References for the seventieth session (agenda item 70 (a))

Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance (A/70/321)

Summary records A/C.3/70/SR.37-39 (jointly with sub-item (b) and item 71), 45 and 50 (jointly with sub-item (b))

Report of the Third Committee A/70/487

Plenary meeting A/70/PV.80

Resolution 70/139

(b) Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

International Decade for People of African Descent

At its sixty-eighth session, the General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent, commencing on 1 January 2015 and ending on 31 December 2024, with the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development”, which was to be officially launched immediately following the general debate of the sixty-ninth session of the Assembly, and called for the allocation of predictable funding from the regular budget and extrabudgetary resources of the United Nations for the effective implementation of the programme of action and activities under the International Decade (resolution 68/237).

At its sixty-ninth session, the Assembly adopted the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent annexed to the resolution and requested the Secretary-General to submit annually a progress report on the implementation of the activities of the Decade (resolution 69/16).

At its seventieth session, the General Assembly requested the Human Rights Council, through the Chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, to submit a report on the work of the Working Group to the Assembly, and in that regard invited the Chair of the Working Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly at its seventy-first session (resolution 70/140).

Documents for the seventy-first session:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 69/16);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (resolution 70/140).

A global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

At its seventieth session, the General Assembly encouraged the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, within his mandate, to continue to focus on the issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and incitement to hatred, which impeded peaceful coexistence and harmony within societies, and to submit reports in that regard to the Human Rights Council and the Assembly; and reiterated the invitation to the Special Rapporteur to consider examining national models of mechanisms that measured racial equality and their added value in the eradication of racial discrimination and to report on such challenges, successes and best practices in his next report (resolution 70/140, sect. VI).

At the same session, the General Assembly reiterated its request to the Human Rights Council to develop and adopt a multi-year programme of activities to provide for the renewed and strengthened outreach activities needed to inform and mobilize the global public in support of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to strengthen awareness of the contribution that they have made in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The Assembly reiterated its invitation to the Council to ensure the visibility, effective participation and optimal utilization of the vast knowledge and experience of the group of independent eminent experts within its subsidiary structures, charged with the mandate of and responsibility for the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and in that regard requested the Council to submit a progress report to the Assembly at its seventy-first session. In addition, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit to it at its seventy-first session a report on the implementation of the resolution and to include in that report the progress made on the commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including through the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and a section outlining the progress in the revitalization of the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination for the purpose of ensuring the successful implementation of the activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent and enhancing the effectiveness of the comprehensive follow -up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (resolution 70/140, sects. IV, V and VII).

Documents for the seventy-first session:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 70/140);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (resolution 70/140).

References for the seventieth session (agenda item 70 (b)) Reports of the Secretary-General:

Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent (A/70/339)

Global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (A/70/367)

Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting:

Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (A/70/309)

Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (A/70/335)

Summary records A/C.3/70/SR.37-39 (jointly with sub-item (b) and item 71), 45 and 50 (jointly with sub-item (b)) Report of the Third Committee A/70/487

Plenary meeting A/70/PV.80

Resolution 70/140