International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: NEWS ROUND UP

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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (unesco.org)

The UN General Assembly resolution 2142 (XXI)(link is external), adopted on 26 October 1966, proclaimed 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to be commemorated annually. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966 which signifies the struggle to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Over the years, UNESCO has celebrated the International Day by organizing events in Headquarters and its field offices, as well as in cooperation with the member cities of the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities – ICCAR (formerly the International Coalition of Cities against Racism).

The struggle against racial discrimination is a central element of UNESCO's work to build peace in the minds of men and women, through education for tolerance, the rejection of racist stereotypes that may persist in culture or in the media.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | United Nations

Youth standing up against racism

“Youth standing up against racism” is the 2021 theme. It engages the public through #FightRacism, which aims to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination and calls on each and every one of us to stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. 

Young people massively showed their support at the 2020 Black Lives Matter marches, which drew millions of demonstrators worldwide. On the streets, groundswells of youth - mostly teens and twenty-somethings - came together to protest against racial injustice. On social media, they mobilized participation, calling on their peers to speak out, and to stand up for the equal rights of all.

Their activism was all the more remarkable in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw restrictions on public gatherings in many countries. As the virus began to spread in early 2020, a parallel pandemic was unleashed - of hatred, violence and fear against certain ethnicities and nationalities. It quickly became clear that stark inequities, sometimes rooted in racism, had subjected minorities to a significantly higher risk of infection and death.

COVID-19 has heavily impacted young people, including those from minority backgrounds. Many are now grappling with an increase in racial discrimination, in addition to severe disruptions to their education; diminished employment prospects; and limited ability to participate in public life, which stymies their individual and social empowerment

UNHCR - High Commissioner's Message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination


High Commissioner’s Message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Statement by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees


Germany. Refugee student delegation visits Free University of Berlin on World Refugee Day 2019

Refugee students meet in Berlin, Germany, on World Refugee Day 2019.  © UNHCR/Antoine Tardy

Over the past year, we’ve witnessed the deadly impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the scourge of racism has also devastated many lives with tragic consequences.

Violent and deadly attacks against Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous people, toxic language, and daily and sustained racially charged acts have rightly forced painful - but necessary - conversations to re-examine prejudice, privilege, the way we view the world, and most importantly how we act.

We must take this opportunity to work towards a world that is not just against racism, but is actively anti-racist.

As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, I have seen first hand how racism and racial discrimination are a root cause of persecution and displacement. Actively combatting racism and racial discrimination can and will help prevent this. It will also reduce the dangerous discrimination and stigmatization that all too often confronts refugees in their countries of asylum.

A failure to eliminate racial discrimination will continue to force innocent people to flee and fear for their lives. 

But today is not only a recognition of the need for others to act. We must all pause and reflect on ourselves, our organizations, and our actions. UNHCR is looking inwards to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce to deliver on our mandate and respond to the needs of displaced and stateless people around the world.

We are working to become better cognizant of our unconscious bias and to eliminate discrimination to become a more anti-racist, non-discriminatory organization. This is my commitment as High Commissioner: to ensure that UNHCR is an organization where diversity is not only valued, but where every colleague feels seen, heard, and represented.

This year on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination I call on all of us to renew our commitment to listen, stand up, speak out, and actively combat racism and racial discrimination. Racism and racial discrimination against anyone of us hurts all of us.

More information:

  • UNHCR has issued guidance on addressing racism and xenophobia, providing practical examples and best practices for our operations around the world.

                                                                       

  • The Global Compact on Refugees places ending discrimination of any kind based on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability, age, or other status at the centre of action to prevent displacement and to ensure peaceful coexistence between refugee and host communities. 

 

  • In pursuit of becoming an anti-racist, non-discriminatory organization, UNHCR has  commissioned an independent internal review to establish a baseline and action plan for this work and the establishment of an Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Group of workforce members drawn from across the organisation.

 

  • UNHCR’s efforts to address and respond to racism and racial discrimination focus on the following priorities:
    • UNHCR advocates for the human rights of refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and stateless persons must be ensured without discrimination. 
    • Strong laws and policies to combat racism, xenophobia, hate crimes and hate speech are essential.
    • UNHCR calls for access to justice and effective remedies for victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, hate crimes or hate speech and for holding those responsible to account.
    • UNHCR encourages the inclusion of persons under its mandate in all exercises and platforms monitoring and collecting disaggregated data documenting racial discrimination, racism, xenophobia, hate crimes and hate speech.
    • UNHCR promotes education on the rights of persons under its mandate and messages encouraging inclusion, diversity, empathy and tolerance.
    • UNHCR considers that everyone can play a role to prevent and stop racism and xenophobia that affect refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and stateless persons.                                              

Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Anti-Racism Summit



"Check against delivery"

Distinguished guests,

ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

 

Racism is around us, in our societies. It doesn't always make the headlines. But it is there.

It makes some people's life an uphill battle. It feeds frustration and despair. It can scar a young person for life. We are surrounded by stories of racism, even if we don't always see them.

Two people apply for the same job. They have: the same education, the same work experience, the same dreams. But only one of them gets an interview. Why? Because the other one is black, or has an Arabic name.

Racism is among us. It's in the racial slurs against black footballers. It's in the discrimination against people of Roma descent. It's in the conspiracy theories against Jews. It's in the violence and the mistrust against migrants and refugees.

Racism is in our streets, in our workplaces, and at times even in our institutions. Sometimes, it's within us, in the way we think, even if we don't realise it.

But I know we can be better than this. Europe must be better than this.

In the founding Treaties of our Union, we made a promise to one another. We promised to fight against discrimination in Europe. And to fight for true equality among everyone who shares this common home.

I believe in this promise.

It is for this reason that last year the Commission adopted the first ever EU Anti-racism Action Plan.

We were inspired by the many Europeans who took to the street, shouting that “black lives matter”, here in Europe too.

“Black Lives Matter” was a call for action. It made us look in the mirror, and reflect about who we are, and who we want to be as a community of free people. That's when we decided to come up with the EU Anti-racism Action Plan.

It brings our policies against racism to the next level, mobilising all tools at our disposal. We are stepping up action, not only with better rules, but with European funding, with police cooperation, with our education policy, with external action and much more.

A first step was to organise the first ever European Anti-Racism Summit. Today's event.

Because we must keep talking about racism in Europe. We must hear from the people and the associations working on the ground, every day, so that everyone in Europe enjoys the same rights and opportunities.

We must join forces among European institutions, with Member States, with police forces, with trade unions and business associations, and with civil society. We must understand together the many forms that racism takes – at the workplace and in our streets, online and offline, and within our institutions. We must find the right means to tackle each one of them.

This is why we are all here today, on the eve of the International Day against Racial Discrimination. And from now on, we will mark this date every year. It must be an occasion to think critically about our shortcomings, but also to focus on how we cherish diversity, and how people of different backgrounds contribute to the daily life of European communities. Because knowledge is the foundation of change.

This summit should be the beginning of a common path. A path of constant dialogue and engagement with all of you who have joined us today. This will be the job of our new anti-racism coordinator, who will be appointed shortly.

The anti-racism coordinator will bring the voices of people of colour, of ethnic minorities, of first and second generation Europeans to the core of the European institutions. The coordinator will bring together civil society, governments, associations, unions … Anyone who can contribute to building a life free from racism and discrimination.

I want the Commission to lead by the power of our example. And for this, we must bring Europe's amazing diversity into our civil service. Last month, the European institutions concluded the first pilot survey on diversity among all the people who applied for a job in our services.

And we were positively surprised by the high number of people who decided to take part in the survey. This will allow us to understand whether we are truly open to people from all ethnic backgrounds.

Our institutions work for all Europeans. And they must be equally accessible to everyone who has the right skills and a passion for Europe.

These are steps that we are taking here in Brussels, within the European institutions.

But the fight against racism needs everyone's contribution, well beyond Brussels, in all Member States and all across Europe. When we presented our Anti-racism Action Plan, we asked all Member States to do the same.

And today, we are holding the first meeting with the 27, to check the state of play in every country. Our goal is that all Member States have a national action plan against racism by the end of next year. Because none of us is immune, and all have to take responsibility.

We need to send a strong message against racism all across our Union. Including, when necessary, by means of criminal law. It's plain and simple. In our Union, using race and colour as a slur is not free speech. It is a criminal offence.

This is European law, which Member States must transpose – in full – in their national legislation. I couldn't take this more seriously. In the last months, we have launched seven infringement proceedings against Member States that still need to take action.

After World War Two, the founders of our Union promised that “never again” racism would tear our continent apart. Anti-racism is a founding principle of our Union. And it is a red thread running through seventy years of history. In the late nineties, eighty thousand European students were asked to choose a motto for our Union.

And after a long selection process, they came up with “unity in diversity”. It was just perfect. In just three words, they summed up our Union's raison d'etre, and our greatest aspiration. Our starting point and our destination.

Today, Europe is way more diverse than it was seventy years ago. We are a Union of 27 countries and countless nationalities. We are people of all skin colours. We are people of all faiths and none. Now more than ever, unity requires that we reject racism and embrace our differences. And this is already happening, in communities all across Europe.

Later this year, we will launch a new annual prize for the European capital of diversity and inclusion. It will put a spotlight on cities where people are united by a shared sense of belonging, beyond colour and ethnic background.

It's a small gesture, to remind ourselves that in some places an anti-racist Europe is already reality. It's reality in the Covid wings of our hospitals, where doctors from migrant backgrounds are working alongside their native European colleagues.

It's a reality in our primary schools, where our children simply don't care about their friend's skin colour. They are united in diversity. They are the face of an anti-racist Europe. This is the kind of Europe we want to build. This is the mission that brings us here today.

Making good on Europe's promise, for all Europeans.

 

Thank you!


 

 

Position: Co -Founder of ENGAGE,a new social venture for the promotion of volunteerism and service and Ideator of Sharing4Good

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