RES/35/30 Consideration of the elaboration of a draft declaration on the promotion and full respect of human rights of people of African descent

GE.17-11801(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 9

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 23 June 2017

35/30. Consideration of the elaboration of a draft declaration on the

promotion and full respect of human rights of people of African

descent

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Recalling the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discrimination and other relevant international instruments,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, in which the

Assembly endorsed the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,

Reaffirming the commitments contained in the Durban Declaration and Programme

of Action with regard to people of African descent,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, by which the

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”,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 69/16 of 18 November 2014, in which

the Assembly adopted the programme of activities for the implementation of the

International Decade,

Recalling further all previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the

comprehensive follow-up to the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial

Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of

the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,

Recalling all its previous resolutions on the global elimination of the scourges of

racism and racial discrimination,

Recalling also the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial

Discrimination previously declared by the General Assembly, and regretting that the

Programmes of Action for those Decades were not fully implemented and that their

objectives have yet to be attained,

Taking note of all relevant reports of the Working Group of Experts on People of

African Descent, and all relevant general recommendations of the Committee on the

Elimination of Racial Discrimination,

1. Recalls General Assembly resolution 69/16 on the programme of activities

for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, in which

the Assembly recommended giving consideration to the elaboration of a draft United

Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of

African descent;

2. Notes with concern that, despite advances in international and national law,

racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, direct and indirect, de

facto and de jure, continue to manifest themselves in inequality and disadvantage against

people of African descent;

3. Notes that people of African descent and Africans in the diaspora throughout

the world constitute some of the poorest and most marginalized groups;

4. Acknowledges that people of African descent can suffer from multiple,

aggravated or intersecting forms of discrimination based on other related grounds, such as

age, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, property, disability,

birth or other status;

5. Calls upon all Member States to adopt effective measures to accelerate the

realization of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International

Decade, in partnership with other countries, intergovernmental organizations and civil

society, as appropriate;

6. Reaffirms the importance of enhancing international cooperation for the

promotion and protection of all human rights and for the achievement of the objectives of

the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

7. Urges States to ensure that activities and objectives for the International

Decade are planned and implemented in accordance with paragraph 10 of the programme of

activities for the implementation of the Decade, on the basis of full consultation and

collaboration with people of African descent;

8. Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective

Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action:

(a) To include in the programme of work for its sixteenth session a one-day

meeting to consider the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion

and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

(b) To invite States, relevant United Nations bodies, funds and programmes,

intergovernmental organizations, the treaty bodies, the special procedures, regional human

rights mechanisms, civil society organizations, academia, national human rights institutions

and other relevant stakeholders to participate actively in the aforementioned discussions

during the sixteenth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to allocate the necessary resources to ensure

the participation of civil society organizations, particularly people of African descent, as

well as members of academia, in the meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group,

taking into account geographical and gender representation criteria;

10. Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group, through its Chair-

Rapporteur, to report on the above-mentioned discussion, including any recommendations

stemming therefrom, to the Human Rights Council at its fortieth session;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to allocate the necessary resources to ensure

the participation of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial

discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as the Chair of the Committee

on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working

Group of Experts on People of African Descent, in the meeting of the Intergovernmental

Working Group to contribute to the aforementioned discussions, including on issues related

to the format and scope of a possible declaration on the promotion and full respect of

human rights of people of African descent;

12. Encourages States to engage in national and regional consultations with a

view to preparing for the session of the Intergovernmental Working Group;

13. Decides to remain seized of this important matter.

37th meeting

23 June 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]