A/79/316 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 52/36, in which the Council requested the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to submit an annual report to the General Assembly. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur examines special measures that are aimed at providing substantive equality for all by providing targeted benefits to underrepresented or marginalized racial or ethnic groups. The Special Rapporteur also summarizes the activities that she has undertaken since reporting to the Assembly in October 2023. 2. Special measures are an integral part of remedying the legacies of historical patterns of enslavement, colonialism and apartheid. As such, this topic is aligned with the Special Rapporteur’s commitment to integrating the examination of the impact of the historical legacies of colonialism and enslavement on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance into all aspects of her work. 1 She also responds to the lack of awareness and understanding, as well as to the inadequate adoption, of special measures worldwide. She asserts that better understanding and acceptance of the existence of racial inequalities and their root causes will lead to increased adoption of special measures. 3. The Special Rapporteur reminds States that special measures are an important part of the suite of measures needed to address racial discrimination experienced globally, and that States are obliged under international human rights law to implement special measures. The Special Rapporteur calls upon States to improve the effectiveness of special measures by ensuring that they are designed in consultation with intended beneficiaries and based on disaggregated data and a robust understanding of systemic racism. She also calls upon States to ensure that special measures address intersectional discrimination and are combined with broader anti racism and equality measures, and that special measures are regularly reviewed, amended as needed and not withdrawn prematurely. 4. To inform the report, the Special Rapporteur issued a call for submissions addressed to Members States of the United Nations and other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, international organizations and national human rights institutions. The Special Rapporteur extends her sincere gratitude to all Member States and other stakeholders that have submitted information. She has drawn upon the input received in the preparation of the present report and remains open to an ongoing dialogue with all relevant stakeholders on this important topic. II. Summary of activities 5. Since reporting to the General Assembly in October 2023, the Special Rapporteur undertook a country visit to the United States of America, between 31 October and 14 November 2023. She presented the findings from that visit to the fifty-sixth session of the Human Rights Council, in July 2024. 2 The Special Rapporteur also presented a report on artificial intelligence, in which she asserted that the ways in which the predominant assumption that technology was objective and neutral was allowing artificial intelligence to perpetuate racial discrimination. 3 She also presented her report on combating the glorification of Nazism, neo -Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial __________________ 1 2 3 4/24 A/HRC/53/60, paras. 48 and 56. See A/HRC/56/68/Add.1. A/HRC/56/68. 24-15073