A/HRC/52/53 racial discrimination in law enforcement and the criminal justice system could not be separated from systemic racism, and that eliminating systemic racism therefore required addressing both – and the legacies they were built on.40 OHCHR pledged to continue to work with UNODC and other United Nations partners, including through the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, while calling on Governments to implement concrete measures with specific, time-bound commitments developed through national dialogues with affected communities. 39. In the report on his 2021 visit to the United States of America, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues stated that submissions to inform the report had made it abundantly clear that African Americans were among the most marginalized minorities in the country.41 He also noted that human rights, and especially the equal right to vote, were moving backwards for minorities in the United States.42 40. The Deputy High Commissioner, as acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented the High Commissioner’s 2022 report on racial justice and equality for Africans and people of African descent to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly.43 It contained information on developments and initiatives undertaken by States and others to address manifestations of systemic racism, including in the area of law enforcement, and to advance accountability and redress for victims, including for legacies of enslavement, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and colonialism.44 In the report, the former High Commissioner reiterated her call for States to step up the implementation of the 20 actions contained in the agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality, noting that greater political will was needed.45 41. On 2 August 2021, the General Assembly adopted resolution 75/314, establishing the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council. The inaugural session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was held in December 2022.46 Part of the mandate of the Permanent Forum is to consider the elaboration of a United Nations declaration on the promotion, protection and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent.47 42. The OHCHR country office in Colombia observed that, despite the signature of the peace agreement in 2016, serious human rights violations had persisted, and that those violations disproportionately affected ethnic communities in rural areas, including people of African descent.48 The Office noted that the 2022 presidential and congressional elections had been marked by intense racist aggressions, including by public officials against voters. The attacks had also targeted Francia Márquez, a human rights defender and the first woman of African descent to run for and win the vice-presidency of Colombia. During the period covered by the present report, the OHCHR office in Colombia conducted social media campaigns against hate speech and supported an anti-racism campaign carried out by young artists of African descent. The OHCHR office in Colombia supported the post-election implementation of the Government’s equality and anti-racism policies and programmes, providing technical advice in accordance with international standards. 43. In February and March 2022, the OHCHR office in Colombia provided advice on the governance instrument for implementing the peace agreement in Chocó and on the anti- 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 GE.22-29200 See https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/05/hc-we-cannot-sit-and-continue-watch-history-repeatitself. A/HRC/49/46/Add.1, para. 23. Ibid., para. 31. A/HRC/51/53 and A/77/205. A/HRC/51/53. See also https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/un-report-recordspiecemeal-progress-combating-systemic-racism-against. A/HRC/51/53, p. 1. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/forums/2022/permanent-forum-people-african-descent. General Assembly resolution 75/314. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/colombia-urgent-government-action-neededrising-violence-rural-areas-gravely. 9