E/CN.4/2003/21 page 10 economic disenfranchisement, dislocation from the history of Africa, manifestations of racial discrimination in Western cultures in sectors such as employment, housing, public amenities and law enforcement, as well as in the African region. He then invited comments and input on his exposition. 50. Mr. Kasanda welcomed Mr. Martins, in particular, and invited him to make some introductory statements as this was his first meeting. Mr. Martins commended Mr. Kasanda on his paper, and stated that the African population of Brazil was second only to that of Nigeria, and that this was the result of the transatlantic slave trade. He continued that there existed in Brazil an enormous social and economic gulf between whites and Afro-descendentes, and that this was a matter of concern to many Brazilians. He hoped to contribute to the Working Group the experiences in Brazil, his knowledge about current policies and initiatives of the Brazilian Government, and his professional expertise as an economist who had studied issues facing people of African descent for many years. 51. The observer for Algeria stated that people of African descent had in the past and for several centuries been considered chattel and treated inhumanely. He stated that the international community must confront this history and work to achieve an international community where the human rights of all were acknowledged, promoted and protected. He regretted that there was still no expert appointed by the Western Group as the Working Group would benefit from input from this region. 52. The observer for Brazil raised the matter of whether people of African descent could be considered a “homogeneous” group, whether they faced similar problems, and as a result whether recommendations to improve their situation should be different for each group. The Chairperson commented that people of African descent were not a homogeneous group, but that in the countries where they lived they often faced similar problems of racial discrimination, underdevelopment, disproportionate poverty and marginalization. 53. The observer for International Possibilities Unlimited welcomed comments by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the observer of Costa Rica acknowledging the link between poverty and racial discrimination. She also added that environmental racism and the issues of unequal access to justice as well as the lack of justice within the justice system required greater attention by the Working Group. 54. The observer for the December Twelfth Movement stated that people of African descent were not a homogeneous group, but that their homogeneity was in their skin colour and the discriminatory treatment in many sectors that resulted therefrom. He commented that the experts would benefit from holding some of its sessions in the regions where people of African descent inhabited, as meetings in Geneva were not easily accessible to people of African descent. 55. The observer for the African Society of International and Comparative Law stated that the Working Group should also pay attention to the situation of people of African descent in Asia and the Middle East as well.