E/CN.4/2004/21 page 12 63. The observer for the December 12th Movement stated that reparations for past injustices, especially those due to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, was a question of fundamental justice. Owing to the short notice about the holding of the meeting, many NGOs, especially those of people of African descent, were unable to attend. 64. The observer for the Espacio Afro-Americano raised some concerns about the programme of work and the selection of themes for the Working Group’s sessions. She commented on the very low participation of NGOs owing to short notice and related funding constraints. The Chairperson-Rapporteur reported that the date of the Working Group had been decided by the Bureau of the Commission on Human Rights, but that the matter merited further consideration. 65. At the seventh meeting, Mr. Kasanda introduced recommendation 24 of the Working Group concerning “studies on violence disproportionately affecting people of African descent, including police violence”. He presented his paper entitled “Preliminary observations on violence affecting Africans and people of African descent in some regions of the world” (E/CN.4/2003/WG.20/Misc.10). He stated that while the causes of the violence varied, historically based stereotypes about racial groups had led to a situation where race was criminalized and crime was racialized. He outlined forms of police violence, including excessive force during arrest and detention and unlawful interrogation, and the use of cruel and unusual punishment, which affected the life and liberty of people of African descent. The effects of such violence were counterproductive to the achievement of the objectives of policing and inimical to the rule of law and the protection of human rights. What was required was representation of people of African descent in policing and accountability to ensure the absence of impunity. 66. Ms. Gupta stated that there was a strong police presence in communities of people of African descent and a strong link between slavery-era violence and police violence today. She outlined some high-profile cases in the United States about coerced confessions and excessive police force. She screened a video for the Working Group which presented a case study on police excess in a town in the United States which pointed to the need for corroboration of police accounts with respect to evidence, laws against racial profiling, sanctions against prosecutors who broke the law, training and recruitment of African American police officers, community policing and civilian review boards. 67. The Chairperson-Rapporteur then invited Ms. Zlătescu to present her paper on “Persons of African descent and the media” (E/CN.4/2003/WG.20/Misc.11), as she would not be present the following week when the theme would be discussed. Ms. Zlătescu said that the discourse of the media could, and actually did, have negative effects, but it also had the ability to combat racist phenomena and attitudes by adhering to a system of values and principles and assuming social responsibilities, the roots of which were to be found in the very impact that the media had upon the public. She referred to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in that regard. She stated that codes of ethics and self-regulating mechanisms addressing not just criminality but also morality on the part of those involved in the profession of journalism, including trade unions, employers and professional organizations, was important.