A/HRC/54/71 Annex II Compendium of good practices and policies identified by the Working Group of Experts on People of African descent during country visits 1. Argentina launched its National Human Rights Plan of Action (2017–2020) based on the international commitments made by the State and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its axes are inclusion, non-discrimination and equality; public security and non-violence; memory, truth, justice and reparation policies; universal access to rights; and civic culture and commitment to human rights. The Plan of Action outlines concrete actions to give visibility to the Afro-descendant community in the framework of the International Decade for People of African Descent.1 Law No. 26852 (2013), designates 8 November as National Day of Afro-Argentineans and Afro-Culture. This is an effort to acknowledge and correct history in order to restore the symbolic and cultural legitimacy of the role played by people of African descent in establishing the national identity of Argentinean society and Law No. 4355 institutes Afro Women’s Day on 25 July in Buenos Aires. 2. The Australian Human Rights Commission works on the development of the National Anti-Racism Framework, the State Commissions and the Ombudsman to protect the human rights of people of African descent and other communities that face racial discrimination in the country. Australia also offered support to organisations, alliances, community leaders and communities of African descent to ensure the human rights of their constituencies.2 3. In 2018, Belgium renamed the former Square du Bastion in Brussels as Square Patrice Lumumba and an exhibition commemorating Congolese soldiers who fought in the First World War. Belgium also launched of the International Decade for People of African Descent at the national level in 2019 to contribute both to the practical implementation of the Decade at the national level and to the preparation of a future national action plan against racism, through specific measures for people of African descent.3 4. Brazil’s affirmative action in 2012 with the adoption of the Quota Law (Law No. 12.711),4 had an impact on the higher educational opportunities of Afro-Brazilians as well as other disadvantaged groups and is a landmark step towards equality in education. This followed the 2003 adoption of Law No. 10.639 to address racist discrimination against people of African descent by amending the General Education Law to include African and Afro-Brazilian history in the national curriculum making African and Afro-Brazilian history and culture compulsory at basic and secondary education levels. 5. In Canada, in 2017 the Government of Ontario passed Bill 114, the Anti-Racism Act, which recognizes the distinct nature of anti-Black racism and the need to address it on an ongoing basis.5 It also formally recognized the International Decade for People of African Descent6 and released A Better Way Forward: Ontario’s 3-year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan part of the provincial government’s commitment to fight systemic racism and create fair and equitable outcomes for Black, indigenous and other racialized people. 7 The Government of Quebec issued a publication highlighting the contribution of African Canadians to the history and development of Quebec society and the organization of intercultural awareness activities in schools by the Black History Month Round Table. In Nova Scotia’s Department of Education, the African Canadian Services Division advises the provincial government on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 GE.23-15301 A/HRC/42/59/Add.2, para. 16. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/racism/wgeapd/2022-12-20/2022-12-20EOM-WGEPAD-Australia.pdf. A/HRC/42/59/Add.1, paras. 22–23. A/HRC/27/68/Add.1, para. 35–43. A/HRC/36/60/Add.1, para. 20. A/HRC/36/60/Add.1, para. 23. A/HRC/36/60/Add.1, para. 24. 27