A/HRC/57/70 11. The Chair of the Working Group participated in the twenty-first session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action held from 16 to 20 October and 20 to 24 November 2023. She briefed participants on the situation of people of African descent in the context of progress achieved in the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent. Furthermore, through the participation of the Chair, the Working Group continued its engagement on the drafting of the United Nations declaration on the respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of people of African descent. The Chair also participated in the twenty-second session of the Intergovernmental Working Group, held from 20 to 24 May 2024 in Geneva, where she continued to represent and present the contributions of the Working Group to the drafting process of the Declaration. 12. The Working Group undertook fact-finding country visits to Norway in December 2023 and to Colombia in May 2024. The report of the visit to Norway 5 is presented to the Human Rights Council in 2024 and that of Colombia in 2025. 13. From 15 to 16 January 2024, the Chair, Ms. Barbara G. Reynolds and Ms. Bina D’Costa, member of the Working Group, participated as panellists in the Regional meeting for Asia and the Pacific Region on the International Decade for People of African Descent. During the panel focused on recognition, the Chair of the Working Group delivered a statement in which she expressed concern about the invisibility and limited voice and agency of people of African descent in the Asia-Pacific region. During the panel focused on justice, Ms D’Costa noted that none of the countries of Asia and the Pacific had yet invited the Working Group for a country visit nor responded to a call for information sent out by the Working Group, and that this was reflective of the prevalence of racial discrimination manifested in the denial of the existence of people of African descent in the region. 14. On 11 April 2024, the Chair participated in meetings on cooperation and exchange of views with the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and other related European stakeholders, organized by ECRI in Strasbourg, France. 15. The Working Group continued to issue communications to concerned States regarding cases of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent in different countries. 16. Among other activities undertaken by the members of the Working Group, the Chair, Ms. Barbara G. Reynolds participated in the following selected activities: (a) Delivered keynote address for a webinar on “Recognition, Justice, and Development: Co-Creating Solutions for People of African Descent”, organized by the African Australian Advocacy Centre (AAAC) (11 August 2023); (b) Panellist in a virtual meeting on first-person testimonies of people of African descent fleeing Ukraine, organized by the Working Group and PADLink (31 August 2023); (c) Recorded a OHCHR video message for the commemoration of UDHR75 (10 December 2023); (d) Delivered a video presentation during a side-event at HRC55 on “Combating Global Racism: Implementing the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”, organized by a group of NGOs (25 March 2024); (e) Panellist in a side-event during the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, on “Implementing the DDPA: an Integral Part of the UN Decade for People of African Descent”, organized by a group of NGOs (16 April 2024); (f) Panellist in a virtual meeting on “The Contribution of the Right to development towards Combating Discrimination including Racial Discrimination”, organized by the UN Working Group on Right to Development (15 May 2024); (g) Panellist in a virtual meeting on “Summit of the Future Dialogues: Economic Empowerment of People of African Descent – Financial Architecture, Governance and Global Monetary and Financial Systems”, organized by Geledes – Black Women Institute (7 June 2024); (h) Panellist at a conference on “Securing Afro-descendent Peoples land and territorial tenure rights in Latin America and the Caribbean: An effective path towards conservation and action against climate change”, organized by Rights and Resources International, Office of the Vice-President of Colombia, CONAQ, Bogotá, Colombia (11-13 June 2024); (i) Panellist in a virtual meeting during a side-event at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, on “Strengthening the Role of Major 5 4 See A/HRC/57/70/Add.1, visit to Norway from 11 to 20 December 2023, report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.