The 1st UN Forum on Minority Issues Geneva, 16 December 2008 THE HUMAN RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN AFRICAN DESCENDANT COMMUNITIES= BLACK COMMUNITIES / AFRO-COLOMBIAN, RAIZAL- PALENQUERA AND THE ROM PEOPLE AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF COLOMBIA Context: Cultural diversity in Colombia has historically been made up of: The hometowns or indigenous communities are currently made up of 84 villages with their respective language, account for the 3.3% of the population, around 1,378,884 people From enslaved African origins including black / Afro-Colombian communities, Palenquera and Raizal. The latter two with their own languages, palenquera and creol respectively. The populations who self recognize as black community, afro, palenquera and raizal according to the official 2005 census is 4'316.592, corresponding to 10.3% of the population (DANE 2005). But according to the organizational dynamics of the Afro-Colombian population, they are actually 26% ie a population of approximately eleven million people. The people Rrom - European immigrants - who preserve their language of origin, with a population of 4,832 people -0.012% of the population - in different kumpeniyi - (DANE Census 2005) Crossbreeding in is found in most of the population. The categories of indigenous and tribal peoples in Colombia (OIT Convention 169)are recognized ethnic groups of indigenous and Afro-descendants. Despite the recognition of cultural diversity in the Constitution of 1991 and ratification of major international treaties for the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable groups and special segments of the population (Article 93 of the Constitution). Social factors such as poverty and armed conflict, which has affected the country in the last 15 years displacement, relates mainly to black communities and indigenous peoples. Although official figures on forced displacement do not match those presented by the Committee Displacement CODHES both agree that the largest displaced population is Afro Colombian population followed by the indigenous and peasant population. In this context, the rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to education of black / Afro-Colombian communities, palenquera and raizal as indigenous peoples has been seriously affected and restricted. General considerations and recommendations.