General Debate under Item 9

Item: 9 - Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

25 September 2018

Statement by: International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discriminaiton (EAFORD) and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)

Thank you Mr. President,

We are deeply concerned that while racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance continues to be alive and on the rise in nearly all regions of the globe the issue remains taboo or is not taken seriously enough. Moreover, it has led to the creation of discriminatory laws and are often the root causes of social and economic inequalities, and violent conflicts that have devastated the lives of individuals and communities. In a historical context, some of the worst and most unimaginable atrocities and crimes against humanity such as torture, slavery, ethnic cleansing, and even genocide are attributed to the evil of racism.

Today, political parties and persons in positions of power continue to spread disinformation, misinformation, inaccurate portrayals of migrants and people with different ethnic backgrounds, information based on false accounts, and hate speech with the intended result of instilling fear of vulnerable groups and minorities among their populations. This form of manipulation allows them to win and govern a country based on fear and hatred and with the strong possibility of enacting discriminatory and racist laws.

Mr. President,

All this considered, why does it not appear to be a serious subject with a high priority in the UN?

To this end, EAFORD and Geneva International Centre for Justice, urge all member states to:

•    Seriously address the issue of global racism, its root causes and implications;

•    Enhance disaggregated data collection on race-related crimes;

•    And finally, we strongly recommend states to support, adopt and fully implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Thank you.