A/HRC/51/54 C. Organization of work 8. The Working Group adopted the agenda 1 and programme of work for its thirtieth session. III. Activities of the Working Group (July 2021–July 2022) 9. The Chair informed participants that the Working Group had submitted its annual report on its twenty-eighth session to the Human Rights Council at its forty-eighth session.2 It had also engaged in a constructive interactive dialogue with Member States during that session of the Council. The Working Group had presented its annual report to the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session3 and had participated in an interactive dialogue with the Third Committee of the Assembly on 27 October 2021. 10. At its twenty-ninth session, the Working Group held closed meetings during which it considered internal matters, including future work, country visits and communications, and also held consultations with various stakeholders, including representatives of Governments, civil society and OHCHR. The Working Group took a number of decisions during the session, including on thematic reporting on further engagement with newly established mechanisms such as the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent and the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement. It also met with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to continue collaboration between the two mechanisms on issues of mutual concern. 11. The Working Group undertook a country visit to Portugal from 29 November to 6 December 2021. It was the first country visit since pandemic-related restrictions on travel that had been implemented following the Working Group’s visit to Peru in March 2020. The Working Group issued a media statement with its preliminary findings at the end of its visit. The Working Group concluded its visit to Switzerland from 17 to 26 January 2022, and held a media conference afterwards. The Chair thanked the Governments of Portugal and Switzerland for cooperating with the Working Group and in facilitating those visits. 12. The Working Group continued to actively participate in events, to interact with civil society and assist stakeholders in the implementation of the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent. In 2021, the Chair and members of the Working Group had seized opportunities to raise awareness and call for the implementation of the Decade, including through country visits. The Working Group welcomed General Assembly resolution 75/314, in which the Assembly had established the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, after it was envisaged under the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, in 2014. The Working Group also welcomed the regional meeting for the Middle East on the International Decade to be held in Qatar on 25 and 26 September. 13. The Working Group has actively engaged with Member States through its communication procedures. During the reporting period, the Working Group sent 19 communications regarding allegations of human rights violations, to Brazil, France, Ireland, Libya, Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United States of America and other actors. The communications sent and replies received are included in the joint communications reports of special procedure mandate holders submitted to the Human Rights Council.4 The Working Group also issued 12 media releases and statements. The Working Group urged States to ensure accountability for human rights violations faced by people of African descent and end structural racism. 14. The Working Group conducted a technical visit to Paris, hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), from 13 to 16 December 2021. It met with representatives of civil society, including people of African descent, the 1 2 3 4 A/HRC/WG.14/30/1. A/HRC/48/78. A/76/302. A/HRC/51/3, A/HRC/50/3 and A/HRC/49/3. 3