A/HRC/36/60 enslavement, redress for the impact of environmental degradation on Africans and people of African descent, and finding ways through information technology to empower and connect grass-roots and other civil society representatives who were interested in working together to seek recognition and justice for the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, in the context of the Decade. 44. During the interactive session, the representative of Mexico outlined the actions undertaken by Mexico in combating discrimination, including enacting new laws, building new institutions and adopting public policies. The representative of the United States articulated the need to ensure that domestic and international development policies were designed to leave no one behind. A representative of civil society called upon Member States to do more to implement the programme of activities of the International Decade, including through the implementation of the recommendations made by the various mechanisms such as the Working Group and the periodic tracking of the status of implementation of its recommendations. Another civil society representative called for greater efforts towards recognition of the historical legacy of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans during the Decade to enhance its profile. 45. A special consultation with civil society was held during the session to explore innovative ways for the Working Group to engage with civil society organizations and thereby strengthen its work. For the first time, civil society organizations were able to participate remotely: the consultation was webcast live and the recording could be viewed on United Nations Web TV. Contributions had been sought on social media platforms before and during the consultation and the input received had informed the discussions. Substantive discussions centred on three guiding questions exploring (a) key human rights concerns of people of African descent; (b) ways to strengthen the impact of the recommendations of the Working Group; and (c) priority human rights concerns which the Working Group should focus on in the next three years. Ms. Fanon Mendes-France, as a member of the Working Group, chaired the session and in her opening remarks recognized the essential work of civil society in the protection of the human rights of people of African descent and in bringing an end to structural racism. 46. Mr. Hansford reflected on the human rights concerns of people of African descent in the United States and around the world. He highlighted racial bias in the criminal justice system and mass incarceration in the United States. He emphasized the present moment of resistance, when people of African descent were rising up and stating that Black lives mattered, even at a time of renewed fervour for ethnic populism and White nationalism. Mr. Balcerzak highlighted key themes from civil society submissions, including disparities in law enforcement and in the criminal justice system; police violence, racial profiling and excessive use of force; impunity for racial killings, mass incarceration; protection of the right to vote; poverty and social exclusion; multiple aggravated forms of racial discrimination against women; and recognition in particular that the transatlantic slave trade was an atrocity. During the discussion, civil society members also called for a declaration on the rights of people of African descent, statistical data on persons of African descent, accountability and affirmative action. They also highlighted specific concerns of people of African descent in Colombia, France, Haiti, Spain and Switzerland. 47. Ms. MacAttram spoke about her work to address the ways in which the United Kingdom Mental Health Act was used against people of African descent and highlighted concerns relating to the Black British experience, in particular with regard to policing and mental health. Mr. McEachrane stated that people of African descent faced structural racism and inequity rooted in histories of colonialism and enslavement which must be addressed. A statement was made by a representative of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education-United States of America on behalf of the United States Human Rights Network, in which the Network emphasized, inter alia, the human rights crisis in the criminal justice system in the United States, a product of continued discrimination and gross disparities in both the enforcement and the application of the law and resulting in racial profiling, the use of excessive force by law enforcement officials perpetrated with impunity, overrepresentation of African Americans in prison, disproportionate criminal penalties and the disproportionate rates of detention and deportation of immigrants of African descent. The political environment in the United States had inflamed individual 12