A/HRC/45/44 5. During the period under review, and in accordance with its mandate, the Working Group sent nine communications2 under the special procedures communications procedure regarding allegations of human rights violations, including to China, Colombia, Haiti, the Netherlands, the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.3 The Working Group also engaged in dialogue with the Government of the Netherlands and offered an amicus curiae submission with respect to racial discrimination in child welfare proceedings and human rights. The Working Group urges States to address the human rights violations faced by people of African descent seriously and to take effective measures to end impunity and structural racism. 6. On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Working Group and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance called upon States to ensure momentum in the implementation of the commitments of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including at its twentieth anniversary commemoration in 2021. 7. On 6 April 2020, the Working Group and several other special procedure mandate holders made an urgent appeal4 to Governments to commit to racial equity and racial equality in navigating the COVID-19 crisis. The Working Group pointed out that structural discrimination could exacerbate inequality in access to health care and treatment, leading to racial disparities in health outcomes and increased mortality and morbidity for people of African descent. The Working Group also joined in several other statements on human rightsrelated concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in subsequent months. 8. On 5 June 2020, in the aftermath of a spate of killings of people of African descent, including but not limited to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, the Working Group and several special procedure mandate holders issued a media release in which they condemned the killings and called for systemic reform and justice. 5 They called upon the Government of the United States to take decisive action to address systemic racism and racial bias in the country’s criminal justice system by launching independent investigations and ensuring accountability in all cases of excessive use of force by police. The experts also raised concerns about police responses to anti-racism demonstrations in several American cities, which were marked by violence, arbitrary arrest, militarization and the detention of thousands of protesters. The Working Group also joined in a parallel statement made by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.6 9. The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance delivered a joint statement, also on behalf of the Working Group and joined by the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures,7 during an urgent debate held by the Human Rights Council at its forty-third session, on 17 June 2020, on the current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and the violence against peaceful protest. Together, the mandate holders called upon the Council to conduct an urgent country-specific intervention in relation to the events in the United States and a thematic global investigation, through a commission of inquiry on human rights violations. The Working Group and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance also issued a statement on 19 June 2020, in which they called for the adoption of a strong, substantive resolution to establish the 2 3 4 5 6 7 One joint communication was sent to 33 States on the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazu Agreement). The communications sent and replies received are included in the joint communications reports of special procedure mandate holders submitted to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/43/77 and A/HRC/44/59). https://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25768&LangID=E. https://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25933&LangID=E. https://ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25927&LangID=E. www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25969&LangID=E. 3