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

A/HRC/RES/60/16View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A document 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 2025.

What other versions does this mandate have?

12 versions · 2008–2025

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

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1 entity

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What subjects does this mandate have?

8 topics

Anniversaries Anti-Discrimination Measures People of African Descent Programmes of Action Public Information Racial Discrimination Reparation Xenophobia

What does this mandate say?

49 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 Second International Decade for People of African Descent for promoting equality and non-discrimination around the world;

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;

Deplores the ongoing use of social media platforms to incite hatred and violence against, inter alia, 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, as appropriate, 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 discriminatory treatment, unlawful deportations, excessive use of force against 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, and denounces the indirect forms of racial discrimination embedded in migration laws, policies and practices that result in disproportionate harm to migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers;

Calls upon States to ensure proper accountability measures and reparations for human rights violations at their borders and to adopt a racial justice approach, including by adopting policies to address structural racism in the management of international migration flows and the collection of disaggregated data on race and ethnicity;

Encourages States and regions to engage with and support the initiatives of the African Union relating to reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent, with a view to identifying and fulfilling their responsibilities concerning reparations for slavery and colonialism in Africa and throughout the African Diaspora;

Urges States that have not yet done so to initiate a comprehensive approach to address the legacies of the past through a plurality of measures, including through formal apologies, truth-telling processes and reparations in various forms;

Calls upon States to place victims, survivors and communities of the historic and contemporary racial injustice associated with colonialism and slavery at the centre of processes designed to seek remedies and reparations;

Also calls upon States to continue to fully cooperate with the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement and to continue 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 agenda of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights towards transformative change for racial justice and equality and follow-up reports, and the reports of the Expert Mechanism;

Further calls upon States to comply with their obligations under international law 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;

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;

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

Calls upon States to ensure the equal participation of all States in global economic governance and in so doing, to redress the historical and present imbalances of the current economic order;

Takes note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee of the Human Rights Council on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which, at its fifteenth session, continued its discussions on the elaboration of a draft additional protocol to the Convention;

Requests the High Commissioner to continue, in the further fulfilment of the mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee, to engage with the group of legal experts referred to by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 51/32, representing different regions and legal systems, and to task the group to continue to provide the Chair-Rapporteur of the Committee with more developed inputs and precise legal advice, to allow for the preparation of the Chair-Rapporteur’s document, in accordance with the Committee’s mandate;

Also requests the High Commissioner to facilitate the interactive participation of these legal experts in one of the two one-week segments of the sixteenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee, to be held in 2026, 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;

Requests the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee to present in person a progress report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, and to participate in the interactive dialogue and carry out consultations with New York-based delegations and stakeholders in order to continue progress in the elaboration of complementary standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, filling procedural and substantive gaps as a matter of urgency, necessity and priority;

Notes the ongoing work on the draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at its twenty-third session;

Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group to continue to invite the Chairs of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to all its sessions devoted to discussions on the draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

Welcomes the reports of the United Nations anti-racism mechanisms, including the mechanisms’ conclusions and recommendations on how to address the human rights concerns of people of African descent more efficiently;

Underlines that the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action represents an important opportunity for States to reaffirm their strong commitment to combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including with a view to mobilizing global public support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Recommends that the General Assembly decide, at its eightieth session, to organize a one-day high-level plenary event to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to be held during the high-level segment of the Assembly’s eighty-first session, with the theme of “Mobilizing global public support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”, consisting of an opening plenary meeting with the participation of Heads of State and Government, followed by consecutive thematic panel discussions, culminating in the adoption of a concise political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for the full and effective implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize an information campaign for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including through the preparation of public information and outreach material that is to be widely disseminated through various channels, including through United Nations information centres, by the Office of the High Commissioner, including through its regional offices, and by other United Nations entities;

Invites States, intergovernmental organizations and other stakeholders to consider providing support to enable non-governmental organizations to organize and participate in activities linked to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Decides to hold the annual panel discussion on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination scheduled for the sixty-first session of the Council as a high-level panel discussion during the high-level segment dedicated to the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, encourages the participation of States, eminent personalities active in the struggle against racial discrimination, and civil society organizations in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Council, and also decides to make the panel discussion fully accessible for persons with disabilities;

Recalls General Assembly resolution 79/161, in which the Assembly requested the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Human Rights Council to continue to convene annual commemorative meetings of the Assembly and the Council during the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with the appropriate focus and themes;

Takes note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at its eleventh session;

Reiterates its decision to request the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to report annually on its session and activities to the Human Rights Council, and that the Group’s report will be also transmitted and presented to the General Assembly, and in this regard requests the Chair of the Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the agenda item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”;

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;

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

Proposes that particular attention be given by all relevant actors to enhancing the contribution of the treaty bodies monitoring the implementation of the core human rights conventions to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including through a systemic approach leading to more intensive cooperation among them;

Acknowledges that the outcome of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance is on an equal footing with the outcomes of all the major United Nations conferences, summits and special sessions in the human rights and social fields;

Encourages States and other stakeholders to adopt action-oriented recommendations at regional meetings, 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;

Acknowledges the progress made during the first International Decade for People of African Descent, while noting that the programme of activities for the International Decade was not fully implemented in relation to recognition, justice and development;

Welcomes the proclamation made by the General Assembly, in its resolution 79/193 of 17 December 2024, of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which commenced in 2025, based on the full reaffirmation and implementation of the programme of activities of the first International Decade, and focusing on consolidating past gains, expanding the reach and scope of contemporary opportunities for development, inclusion and peace, and anticipating emerging risks and threats;

Also welcomes the convening of the fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the large participation of civil society and people of African descent from around the world during the session;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to invite the submission of written contributions in order to propose recommendations on the modalities of the Permanent Forum, to prepare a report thereon and to transmit the outcome of the Office’s evaluation to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, in accordance with Assembly resolution 75/314, in which the Assembly decided that after four annual sessions of the Permanent Forum, an evaluation of the Forum’s modalities was to be carried out by the Assembly on the basis of an evaluation made by the Human Rights Council in the light of the experience gained;

Takes note of the decision of July 2025 of the Executive Council of the African Union in which the Executive Council extended its focus on the 2025 theme of the year, “Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations”, proclaiming a Decade for Reparations;

Welcomes the initiatives taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and anti-racism human rights mechanisms calling for effective remedies and reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent;

Decides to extend, until the end of 2027, the two-year comprehensive communications strategy requested by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 48/18 of 11 October 2021, to continue to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial justice and equality and the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, notably with regard to the effective promotion of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Second International Decade for People of African Descent and other relevant instruments, processes and mechanisms, welcomes in this regard the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on the communications strategy, and requests the Secretary-General to provide the resources necessary for the communication strategy;

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

Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to publish an updated version of United against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in an easily accessible booklet format, 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;

Reiterates its request that the commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, on 25 March, and the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, on 23 August, be included in the communications strategy and outreach programme;

Encourages all special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies to include, in their reports, consideration of the impact of systemic, structural and institutional racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related intolerance on their mandates;

Reiterates its request for the Office of the High Commissioner, States and other stakeholders to include in their annual updates to the Intergovernmental Working Group 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;

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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