RES/7/33 From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

Human Rights Council

Resolution 7/33. From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming all the previous resolutions and decisions of the General

Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Council on the elimination of

racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,

1. Salutes all positive developments in the fight against racism, racial

discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

2. Welcomes the landmark and historic formal apology by the

Government of Australia for the past laws and policies that inflicted profound grief,

suffering and loss on its indigenous peoples;

3. Urges Governments that have not done so to issue formal apologies to

the victims of past and historic injustices and to take all necessary measures to

achieve the healing and reconciliation of and the restoration of dignity to those

victims, as outlined in paragraph 101 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of

Action;

4. Urges all Governments to summon the necessary political will to take

decisive steps to combat racism in all its forms and manifestations;

5. Acknowledges the report of the Working Group of Experts on People

of African Descent on its eighth session (A/HRC/7/36);

6. Welcomes the convening of the first part of the sixth session of the

Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban

Declaration and Programme of Action in January 2008, during which the Working

Group made an initial contribution to the preparatory process of the Durban Review

Conference, and looks forward to the convening of the second part of the sixth

session, during which the Working Group should continue its follow-up to the

implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including the

relevant paragraphs of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which are

yet to receive the necessary attention, in accordance with the Working Group’s

programme of work;

7. Also welcomes the convening of the first part of the first session of the

Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards in February

2008, and requests the Ad Hoc Committee, at the second part of its first session, to

fulfil, as a matter of priority, the objective outlined in paragraph 199 of the Durban

Declaration and Programme of Action;

8. Acknowledges the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary

forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to the

Council at its seventh session (A/HRC/7/19);

9. Decides to invite the Group of Five Independent Eminent Experts to

address the Council at its tenth session.

42nd meeting 28 March 2008

Adopted by a recorded vote of 34 votes to none, with 13 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour: Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Cuba,

Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan,

Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan,

Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South

Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Zambia.

Abstaining: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Netherlands,

Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine,

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.]