A/HRC/21/60
46.
A joint intervention was made by the five Fellows from the 2012 OHCHR
fellowship programme for people of African descent which supported the three elements of
the Decade and focused on international measures. They underlined priority areas including
the effective follow up on recommendations made by CERD, particularly general
recommendation No. 34, as well as recommendations made by other human rights
monitoring mechanisms within the United Nations system, and emphasized the importance
of mainstreaming contributions of people of African descent into policy making.
47.
The Fellows also highlighted the promotion of awareness-raising around issues of
health for people of African descent and the importance of incorporating a gender
perspective in areas such as the media, access to employment, political participation and
representation, as well as research and development into diseases that affect people of
African descent, including for example sickle-cell anaemia, hypertension and diabetes,
amongst others. They also urged to take preventive and legal measures to protect people of
African descent against racial profiling. Finally, they expressed the view that due
recognition of the achievements of people of African descent and the contributions they
have made in all areas of human endeavour should play an essential role in the Programme
of Action for the Decade. This should include the preservation and promotion of their
history, cultural contribution and heritage. They called for the International Decade to be
developed with the full involvement of people of African descent and supported by civil
society
48.
The issue of a lack of statistical data was raised throughout the meeting during
presentations and in the interactive discussion. The existence of little or no hard data on
what discrimination is taking place, where, how and with what consequences was seen as a
current problem and limited efforts to combat racial discrimination.
49.
Regarding the scope and content of the Decade, participants recommended several
elements to be included as components of the Programme of Action, such as a quest for
substantive, disaggregated data on the situations, conditions and treatment of people of
African descent, including concrete data on the situations and character of discrimination to
which people of African descent were subject. In this regard, it was suggested that specific
legislation and methodological approaches, in accordance with provisions on human rights
and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantee,
would need to be elaborated, quantitative as well as qualitative measurement and indicators
to be developed, and institutions and procedures to conduct data collection and analysis
identified and strengthened.
50.
Some observers also suggested the review and analysis of fundamental assumptions,
concepts and intersectionalities in view of evolving conditions and realities around the
world. They suggested reinforcing linkages among and application of the directly relevant
international legal standards and instruments that apply or are applicable to people of
African descent, including the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination. Other instruments mentioned were the international labour standards,
particularly ILO Convention No. 111 on discrimination in employment and occupation, the
“core” instruments on migrants rights protection, namely the 1990 International Convention
on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
(ICRMW), ILO Convention No. 97 on Migrant Workers and ILO Convention No. 143 on
migration for employment (Supplemental Provisions), the instruments addressing gender
discrimination, notably the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW) and ILO Convention No. 158 on termination of employment, ILO
Convention No. 169 on Indigenous peoples and to include an explicit dimension addressing
xenophobia in the Programme of Action, components and activity support.
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