A/HRC/7/36 page 11 that people of African descent and other minorities had a right to participate in the formulation of laws by which all must live. He further stressed that States had to design policies to target their poor by reversing conditions that led to their exclusion from participating in public life and also adopt affirmative policies and strategies for inclusion. In conclusion, he stressed the necessity of establishing a voluntary fund to enable non-governmental organizations to attend the annual meetings of the Working Group and deliver their important contributions. 60. Mr. Salih Booker, panellist for the Working Group on People of African Descent, presented his paper on participation of people of African descent in political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in the advancement and economic development of their countries. He stated that globalization was a process that started with the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism has resulted in a global apartheid. A person’s opportunity to realize their basic human rights was largely determined by race, gender and geography. Global governance was dominated by people of European descent. He added that Africans had only gained the right to participate fully in their own governance in the past five decades, and that people of African descent in the Americas were still struggling to achieve equal participation in the national life of the countries where they lived. 61. He emphasized the fact that Africa was invisible, people of African descent were invisible, the historic accomplishments of the World Conference against Racism had been made invisible, and that the Working Group was at risk of being made invisible as was the Durban review process. Such invisibility was a manifestation of the conscious and unconscious modern racism that all had to continue to fight to overcome. He stated that the Durban review process offered a unique opportunity to reclaim the historic accomplishments of the World Conference against Racism, as embodied in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and which represented an historic international consensus on how best to combat racism in our time. It was an opportunity to make visible that which had remained invisible since 2001 and to hold States accountable for their actions on what they committed themselves to at that time. 62. Several observers mentioned that they found Mr. Booker’s presentation insightful. What was most striking about the presentation was the emphasis placed on the principle that civil and political rights were useless without economic and social rights. 63. Mention was made in the room of the issue of reparations. Comments were made in support of the view that racism was about victims and, inevitably, remedies for victims such as reparations were needed. There were recommendations that the Working Group should deal with trying to maximize remedies for victims. There were other dissenting voices that believed that the issue of reparations would divide the work and participants of the Working Group. 64. There was also much support for the ideas highlighted by Ambassador Kasanda regarding appropriate funding for non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups to be able to actively participate in the work of the Working Group. 65. A comment was made that racism was a disease affecting not only the victims but the perpetrators as well; racism had many deep and practical implications. The advancement of people of African descent was ultimately linked with the development of people living in the African continent.