A/HRC/11/36/Add.3
page 2
Summary
At the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur visited the United States of
America from 19 May to 6 June 2008. During the mission, the Special Rapporteur visited
Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, New Orleans and the Louisiana
and Mississippi Gulf Coast, Miami and San Juan (Puerto Rico).
The Special Rapporteur had extensive meetings with state institutions, including the
Supreme Court, civil society organizations active in the field of racism, minority communities
and victims of racism.
The Special Rapporteur formulates several recommendations, including that:
(a) Congress establish a bipartisan commission to evaluate the progress and failures in
the fight against racism and the ongoing process of resegregation, particularly in housing and
education, and to find responses to check these trends;
(b) The Government reassess existing legislation on racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance in view of two main guidelines: addressing the overlapping
nature of poverty and race or ethnicity; and linking the fight against racism to the construction of
a democratic, egalitarian and interactive multiculturalism, in order to strengthen inter-community
relations;
(c)
The Government should intensify its efforts to enforce federal civil rights laws;
(d) The Government clarify to law enforcement officials the obligation of equal
treatment and, in particular, the prohibition of racial profiling.