From Rhetoric to Reality a Global Call for Concrete Action Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance

A/HRC/RES/51/32View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 9Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

12 versions · 2008–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/60/16

2025A/HRC/RES/60/16From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :LatestCompare with previous version
2024A/HRC/RES/57/25From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :Compare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/54/27From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :Compare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/51/32From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :Compare with previous version
2021A/HRC/RES/48/18From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :Compare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

8 topics

Anti-Discrimination Measures Experts Group Hatred People of African Descent Public Information Racial Discrimination Work Organization Xenophobia

What does this mandate say?

42 operative paragraphs

Underscores the importance of political will and commitment to combat all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Underlines the imperative need for the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as the instructive outcome document of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance for combating the scourge of racism, including its contemporary and resurgent forms, some of which have regrettably taken violent forms, as well as of the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Also underlines the imperative need for the full and effective implementation of its previous resolutions on racism, racial discrimination, and other related forms of intolerance, including in Human Rights Council resolution 47/21, and requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the relevant special procedures and international mechanisms to enhance and broaden their efforts to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and invites relevant United Nations bodies to do the same;

Continues to be alarmed at the resurgent violent manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance precipitated by scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous ideologies, such as white supremacy, as well as by extremist nationalist and populist ideologies, and underlines in this respect that human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person;

Stresses in this respect the need to also address stereotypes, stigmatization and identity-assignment based on race as essential in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Encourages States to make the requisite declaration in accordance with article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within their jurisdiction under its complaints procedure;

Also encourages States to fully cooperate with the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement and to implement the comprehensive set of measures to end systemic racism and address racial discrimination and human rights violations, notably by law enforcement, contained in the High Commissioner’s agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality;

Calls upon States to honour their obligations to protect those standing up against racism, including human rights defenders, from being discredited, harassed, intimidated or subjected to increased surveillance, both within and outside the context of assemblies;

Takes note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which, at its eleventh and twelfth sessions, furthered the discussions on the elaboration of a draft additional protocol to the Convention;

Requests the High Commissioner, in the further fulfilment of the mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to engage legal experts, representing the five regions and different legal systems, and task them with providing the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee with precise guidance and inputs to allow for the preparation of the Chair’s document, in accordance with the Committee’s mandate;

Also requests the High Commissioner to facilitate the participation of these legal experts in the thirteenth and fourteenth sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee, and to task them with providing advice with a view to contributing to discussions on the elaboration of a draft additional protocol criminalizing acts of a racist and xenophobic nature, in order to implement the Committee’s mandate;

Takes note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at its nineteenth session;

Requests the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent to submit a report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-fourth session, reviewing the work it has carried out in the 20 years since its establishment and including conclusions and recommendations on how to address more efficiently the human rights concerns of people of African descent;

Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide the human and financial resources necessary to support the implementation of the mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, including public meetings, to be held in a hybrid format to allow for remote participation;

Emphasizes the paramount importance of universal adherence to and the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action for promoting equality and non-discrimination around the world;

Recalls that, in paragraph 12 of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68 of 25 April 2002, the Commission decided to keep the mandate of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, composed of five experts serving in their personal capacity, under constant review, and noting the role still to be played by the Group of Independent Eminent Experts in contributing to the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action through the mobilization of political support, enhancing the resources available to the Group and expanding its mandate to ensure it can effectively achieve its goal;

Decides, bearing in mind the mandate of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts, that the Group of Independent Eminent Experts will function as an advisory mechanism for the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and will work towards mobilizing global political will for concrete action;

Requests the General Assembly to limit the tenure of the Eminent Experts to four years, which may be renewed once, and that the current Experts will continue to serve until the appointment of new Experts is finalized, and also requests that the limit of tenure also apply to the continued service of Experts already appointed as of the date of adoption of the current resolution;

Requests the Secretary-General to appoint the five Eminent Experts, one from each region, from among candidates proposed by the President of the Human Rights Council, after consultation with the regional groups, in line with the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and paragraph 13 of General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, by the end of 2023;

Requests the five regional groups to nominate a candidate for appointment to the Group of Independent Eminent Experts in a timely fashion;

Underlines that, to ensure the best possible expertise, the following general criteria will be of paramount importance, when appointing the eminent experts: (a) recognized expertise and experience in the field of anti-racism and human rights and demonstrated commitment to the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (b) independence and impartiality; and (c) personal integrity; and notes that due consideration should also be given to gender balance, to an appropriate representation of different legal systems and to the principle of non-accumulation of human rights functions at the same time;

Requests the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to convene its ninth session for five working days in 2023, and to submit a report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session, and in this regard requests the Chair of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the agenda item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at that session;

Also requests the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to prepare a comprehensive study on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, with a focus on areas presenting particular challenges, and to present it to the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session and to the General Assembly at its eightieth session, and in this regard requests the Chair of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the agenda item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at that session;

Requests the United Nations system to strengthen its awareness-raising campaigns to increase the visibility of the message of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, its follow-up mechanisms and the work of the United Nations in the fight against racism, and decides that the annual session of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts will be webcast to allow for remote participation and for greater awareness-raising among affected communities;

Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the financial and human resources necessary for the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to fulfil its mandate effectively;

Deplores the ongoing use of social media platforms to incite hatred and violence, inter alia against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, while reaffirming the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and calls upon States to prohibit by law any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, including that propagated in information and communications technology;

Strongly condemns the recent allegations of discriminatory treatment, unlawful deportations, excessive use of force and deaths of African migrants and migrants of African descent, including refugees and asylum-seekers, at the hands of law enforcement officials engaged in migration and border governance in different countries;

Calls upon States to ensure accountability and reparations for human rights violations at borders and to adopt a racial justice approach, including by adopting policies to address structural racism in the management of international migration flows;

Calls upon all States that have not yet done so, and consistent with paragraph 75 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to consider withdrawing their reservations on article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and on articles 18, 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Welcomes the convening of regional meetings organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to effectively implement the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent, encourages Member States and other stakeholders to adopt action-orientated recommendations at these meetings, and calls upon States, regional organizations and other stakeholders to facilitate the participation of civil society from their respective countries and regions at the meetings, and recognizes the contributing role that national human rights institutions and civil society organizations can play in supporting States’ measures to prevent and eliminate all forms of racial discrimination;

Recalls the establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, and an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, in accordance with the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent and in close coordination with existing mechanisms;

Decides that the annual session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent will be held in a hybrid format and will be webcast to allow for remote participation;

Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide the human and financial resources necessary to support implementation of the mandate of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

Requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the High Commissioner to implement fully paragraphs 32 and 34 of General Assembly resolution 75/237 of 31 December 2020, on outreach and a public information campaign for the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and follow-up thereto, including by increasing efforts to promote the true nature of the text of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to submit a report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-third session on the progress on the two-year comprehensive communications strategy, inclusive of an outreach programme to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial equality, including about the content and contribution of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to publish an updated version of United against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, containing also the political declaration made by the General Assembly on the occasion of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and to issue it in all official languages of the United Nations, for wide dissemination;

Further requests the Office of the High Commissioner to publish the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent in an easily accessible brochure format in the official languages of the United Nations, for wide dissemination, and invites States to publish translations thereof;

Notes that the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the thirtieth anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action will be commemorated in 2023, and in this regard requests that the matter of combating racism be fully integrated into those commemorations;

Encourages all special procedure mandate holders and the human rights treaty bodies to include consideration of the impact on their mandates of systemic, structural and institutional racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related intolerance in their reports;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner, Member States and other stakeholders to include in their annual updates to the Intergovernmental Working Group for the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action information on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including on the activities conducted in the context of the outreach programme, and also requests the Office to include information on the implementation of the communications strategy in the annual report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on global efforts in the fight against racism;

Acknowledges the work done by the Office of the High Commissioner, and requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide the resources necessary for the effective functioning of Durban follow-up mechanisms and to give high priority to the issue of preventing and combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the work of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Decides to remain seized of this important issue.

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