A/HRC/30/56 and colonialism. He said that, despite all existing mechanisms, racism continued to rise; more aggressive manifestations of racism currently needed stronger measures and, in that connection, he gave a few examples of the prevalence of racism in sports, in the statements of politicians, in the treatment of migrants and in the media, among other areas. The Decade provided an important opportunity to focus genuinely on the plight of victims and on unconditional respect for human dignity. The Ad Hoc Committee would appreciate receiving meaningful contributions on those issues from the Working Group. 26. Jacques Martial, actor and president of the Établissement public du parc et de la grande halle de la Villette in Paris, delivered his presentation on “The dialogue de citadelles project, culture and its linkages to the International Decade”. He said that the International Decade for People of African Descent provided an important framework for stressing the historical, geographical and multicultural aspects of people of African descent as exemplified by the dialogue de citadelles project. The project was aimed at highlighting the shared history of slavery and colonialism of the Caribbean as well as the contribution of people of African descent in the Caribbean to world culture. In particular, the project disseminated art and creation of the Caribbean through exhibitions, cultural events, performance arts and intercultural dialogue, with a view not only to raise awareness about the richness of the culture and history of the region, but also to allow different countries in the region to share their experiences among themselves. 27. Ms. Shepherd delivered a presentation on “Reparation and the right to development”. She established the linkages between justice and development by drawing upon the salient observations and recommendations of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent. She referred to the need for States to repair the damage done by the transatlantic trade in captured Africans, enslavement and colonialism. She also referred to the destruction of African communities, the capture and forced relocation of Africans to the Americas, the African Maafa, inhumane treatment during enslavement, post-slavery racial apartheid and suppression of anti-colonial struggles, as violations committed against people of African descent. She further emphasized the fact that poverty was a consequence of colonialism and had always been tied to its discriminatory practices and legacies. Ms. Shepherd introduced the Caribbean Community’s Ten Point Action Plan for reparatory justice and elaborated in particular on the relevance of technology transfer which would serve to address historical tragedies and development. She pointed out that it was important to engage in psychological rehabilitation and reclaim dignity and pride through “concerted efforts of racial affirmation”, as espoused by the poet Aimé Césaire. 28. Following the presentations, representatives of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Tunisia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and several NGO representatives spoke about their respective plans and programmes in implementing the International Decade for People of African Descent at the national level and at the local level, respectively. 29. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered his statement to the session on 1 April 2015. He said that he was honoured that the General Assembly had appointed him as Coordinator of the International Decade for People of African Descent. In that context, he underlined that the conclusions and recommendations resulting from the session on the theme of “Development and people of African descent” would be valuable inputs for the implementation of the programme of activities for the Decade. 30. The High Commissioner pointed out that, despite economic growth, an intolerable number of people of African descent continued to be burdened by underdevelopment. People of African descent faced discrimination in their access to fundamental services, including education, health care and basic resources. Even systems for law enforcement and justice — the very systems that should ensure fairness and protect all individuals — were often skewed against people of African descent, who were massively and unfairly 7