Research Guides United Nations Office at Geneva Library & Archives

People of African Descent

The Working Group of Experts on People of African descent and the International Decade

2010-2011

 A/HRC/14/18: In the report on its 9th session (12-16 April 2010), the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGPAD)  "recommends that the international community declare an international decade for people of African descent to make the challenges they face more visible, to identify solutions, and to engage in a sustained campaign to eradicate structural discrimination against people of African descent".

A/HRC/18/45: In the report on its 10th session (28 March-1 April 2011), the WGPAD recommends that " The theme proposed by the Working Group for the International Year, and which was widely accepted in the international community, should be adopted as the theme of the decade, namely “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development".

A/RES/66/144: In its resolution 66/144 of 19 December 2011, the General Assembly encouraged the WGPAD "to develop a programme of action, including a theme, for adoption by the Human Rights Council, with a view to proclaiming the decade starting in 2013 the Decade for People of African Descent"

A chapter closes but another one opens: the International Year should lead to an International Decade for People of African Descent (feature story: 30 Dec. 2011)

2012

The WGPAD, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 66/144, elaborated a Draft Programme of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent (A/HRC/21/60/Add.2) for adoption by the General Assembly in 2013.

A/RES/67/155: In its resolution 67/155 of 12 December 2012, the General Assembly requested the President of the General Assembly "to launch an informal consultative preparatory process for the proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, with the theme “People of African descent:recognition, justice and development”, with a view to proclaiming the International Decade in 2013". It requested "the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly before the end of its sixty-seventh session on the practical steps to be taken to make the International Decade effective". It also invited the Chair of the WGPAD"to participate in the proclamation of the International Decade and to report to and engage in an interactive dialogue with the General Assembly in that respect, under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, at its sixty-eighth session".

2013

A/67/879: How to make the International Decade for People of African Descent effective : report of the Secretary-General (as requested by General Assembly resolution 67/155)

A/HRC/RES/24/26: From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (Human Rights Council resolution of 27 September 2013). The Human Rights Council "underlines the need for the General Assembly to proclaim the International Decade for People of African Descent and, within that context, to adopt the draft programme of action for the International Decade for People of African Descent elaborated by the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, as mandated by the Assembly in its resolution 66/144"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action at the 68th session of the General Assembly

The WGPAD, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 66/144, submitted the Draft Programme of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent (A/HRC/21/60/Add.2) for adoption by the General Assembly in 2013. The General Assembly included this item in its agenda for the 68th session (item 67 (a and b). The Chairperson of the Working Group, Ms. Shepherd, presented the proposal at the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 4 November 2013 (see webcast, at 33:17, press release and related video: Ms. Shepherd, Chairperson of the Working Group, talks about the proposal just before addressing the Third Committee)

A/C.3/68/L.69: Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: draft resolution introduced by Fiji at the 46th meeting of the Third Committee (14 Nov. 2013)

A/C.3/68/L.69/Rev.1: Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance : revised draft resolution submitted by Fiji on behalf of the group of 77 and China at the 54th meeting of the Third Committee (27 November 2013, adopted by a vote: 126-9-46)

A/68/454: Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: report of the Third Committee to the General Assembly (see: Chapter II. Consideration of proposals. B. Draft resolutions A/C.3/68/L.69 and Rev.1)

A/RES/68/151: The General Assembly adopted the draft resolution titled “Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”, by a recorded 134 votes in favour to 11 against, with 46 abstentions at its 70th plenary meeting on 18 December 2013 (see A/68/PV.70 and webcast at 1:20)

A/RES/68/237: On 23 December 2013, the General Assembly at its 72nd plenary meeting adopted the draft resolution A/68/L.34 (Proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent) without a vote (see A/68/PV.72 and webcast). It also requested the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to develop a draft programme for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent to be finalized and adopted during the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly and not later than 30 June 2014

 

Human Rights Council consideration

The Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action held its 12th session from 7 to 17 April 2014 (followed by further consultations from 29 April to 2 May 2014 and on 8 and 9 May 2014).

As requested by General Assembly  resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013 and by HRC resolution 25/33 of 28 March 2014, the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action dedicated its programme of work during its twelfth session to the purposes of elaborating a programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, drawing from the existing draft Programme of Action for People of African Descent, as already elaborated by the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent - Report of the 12th session (includes draft programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent)

By its resolution 26/1 of 18 June 2014, the Human Rights Council decided to urgently transmit to the General Assembly the report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

 

 

 

 

 

Further action at the 68th and 69th sessions of the General Assembly

68th session

A/68/L.52: Extension of the intergovernmental process of the General Assembly on a programme for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : draft decision / submitted by the President of the General Assembly (30 June 2014)

A/68/L.56: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : draft resolution / submitted by the President of the General Assembly (4 Aug. 2014)

A/68/977: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : programme budget implications of draft resolution draft resolution A/68/L.56 : statement : submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly (13 Aug. 2014)

A/DEC/68/558 (not yet available, see: A/68/L.58 of 26 Aug. 2014: Programme of Activities for the Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : draft decision / submitted by the President of the General Assembly (26 Aug. 2014). The General Assembly decides to defer consideration of and action on draft resolution A/68/L.56 to its sixty-ninth session in order to allow time for further consultations on the programme budget implications of the proposal

69th session

A/69/318: Report of the Chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (covers the period 1 July 2013-30 June 2014) - Statement by the Chair of the WGAPD, Ms. Fanon-Mendès France, at the 37th meeting of the GA Third Committee on 3 November 2014 (webcast)

A/69/354: Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action : report of the Secretary-General (26 Aug. 2014)

A/C.5/69/4: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent: programme budget implications of draft resolution A/69/L.3 : statement / submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 53 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly (26 Sept. 2014)

A/69/551: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : programme budget implications of draft resolution A/69/L.3 : report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (27 Oct. 2014)

A/69/563: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent : programme budget implications of draft resolution A/69/L.3 : report of the 5th Committee : General Assembly, 69th session (6 Nov. 2014)

A/C.3/69/L.59: A global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action : draft resolution / Plurinational State of Bolivia [on behalf of the Group of 77 and China] (10 Nov. 2014)

A/RES/69/16: Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, adopted on18 November 2014 (55th plenary meeting of the GA) without a vote (see also webcast)