A/HRC/48/78 World, part of the Mona Law Master Class Series at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus; on 18 March, in a United Nations Academic Impact event in the Digital Dialogue Series on “Countering Racism through Education”; on 22 March, in a conference on “the Possibility and Impossibility of Reparations for Slavery and Colonialism”, held at Columbia University, United States of America,; and, on 25 March, in a seminar on “Royalty, racism, republicanism and reparations: preparing for the sixtieth anniversary of nationhood in the CARICOM region”, held at the University of the West Indies. 20. Another member of the Working Group, Ricardo Sunga, gave media interviews to Russia Today (UK) and Chinese media. On 22 June 2021, he also delivered a presentation at a side event for special procedures of the Human Rights Council during its forty-seventh session. III. Twenty-eighth session A. Opening of the session 21. In her opening statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the killing of George Floyd, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of African descent had catalysed a global uprising against systemic racial injustice. The climate crisis had an immense and disproportionate impact on the rights of people of African descent, tied to historical and structural racism. People of African descent, like other discriminated peoples and communities, were forced to live in areas vulnerable to environmental degradation, where their right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment was often not fulfilled. The negative impact of climate change was disproportionately borne by people living in the least well protected situations. Environmental racism posed a serious and disproportionate threat to the enjoyment of multiple human rights, including the right to life, the right to health, the right to an adequate standard of living and cultural rights. In many parts of the world, people of African descent seeking to defend their human rights related to the environment faced unacceptable violence, threats and intimidation. 22. In line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, business corporations should refrain from violating the rights of others. Building back from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was an opportunity to build fairer, more resilient systems in a world that was cleaner, greener and safer. This would require a human rightsbased approach that promoted the meaningful participation of all, including those at greatest risk. People of African descent had to be part of the climate solution. The organizers of the upcoming twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow had pledged to make the Conference the most inclusive ever. United Nations actors and States should join civil society in seeking to hold them to that promise. It was vital to ensure the inclusion of – and recognize the leadership of – people of African descent in decision-making at all stages of environmental action. 23. Following an exchange with the High Commissioner, the Working Group adopted the agenda and programme of work for its twenty-eighth session. 24. The Chair provided a summary of the activities conducted by the Working Group over the past year. She highlighted the operational guidelines on the inclusion of people of African descent in the 2030 Agenda adopted by the Working Group on 9 December 2020. The Working Group had actively supported OHCHR in its preparation of a report on racial justice and the implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 43/1. The Working Group had also sent an open letter in support of H.R.40 before the United States Congress (see para. 16 above). 5