A/76/434
40. In Kuwait, reported violations against of migrant workers, stateless persons and
women 41 fall within the lens of multiple discrimination outlined in the Durban
Declaration and Programme of Action and can be addressed through the concrete
remedial guidance provided in the document. Similarly, NGO reports on and
condemnation of discrimination against religious minorities and the addition of
exclusionary material to textbooks in Pakistan also fall within the scope of the
document, in which racism is linked to religious discrimination and educational
curriculums. 42
41. Lastly, religious institutions have reported on how they work towards achieving
anti-racism objectives and how they can actively contribute to reparatory practices, 43
in recognition of the acknowledgment in the Durban Declaration and Programme of
Action that religious leaders should fully participate in anti-racism efforts. 44
42. While not exhaustive, this review of civil society submissions shows how the
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action can enable victims of racism to
articulate their experiences in terms that are grounded in history and linked to broader
struggles for equality and justice.
B.
Individual and structural redress and reparation for racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
43. As the Special Rapporteur has noted in her prior report on reparations for
colonialism and slavery (A/74/321), the Durban Declaration and Programme of
Action has strengthened the call for reparations for racism, slavery and colonialism.
In the Declaration, it is clearly stated that transatlantic slavery and co lonialism remain
among the root causes of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance against Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of
Asian descent and indigenous peoples.
44. The recognition of the ongoing effects of colonialism and slavery outlined in
the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 45 serves to highlight the need to
create reparatory frameworks that account for historical wrongs. Insofar as the
starting point for such reparations is acknowledgement and apology by beneficiary
States, the document offers a key framework for both apologizing for slavery and
colonialism through historical recognition 46 and for creating structures and systems
that do the work of reparatory justice. 47
C.
Comprehensive mechanisms for implementation of equality and
non-discrimination principles
45. Among the most important contributions of the Durban Declaration and
Programme of Action is the depth and scope of its implementation mechanisms and
recommendations. Three levels of activity are set out in the document: national,
regional and international. The role of civil society, academia and the private sector
are also considered in the Programme of Action, all of which contribute at each level.
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41
42
43
44
45
46
47
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Submission by the Kuwait Society of Human Rights.
Submission by the Centre for Social Justice Pakistan.
Submissions by the United Church of Canada and the General Board of Church and Society of
the United Methodist Church.
Declaration, para. 8.
Declaration, paras. 13–14.
Declaration, paras. 99–101; and Programme of Action, paras. 119 and 158.
See, for example, Declaration, paras. 99–101; and Programme of Action, para. 158.
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