Martin Kimani, the chair of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, delivered the annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva during a discussion with country representatives.
“Tragically, each year, the events we see in news headlines and in the lives of people of African descent confirm that the color line remains in place, maintaining a divide that leads to segregation, violence, societal division, and the denial of equal opportunity, equity, and the continuation of exploitation and multiple forms of oppression,” he stated.
He emphasized the need for human rights movements, including anti-racist efforts, to unite and act to ensure that the promises of multiple UN resolutions, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, are realized.
A new decade has begun with the second International Decade for People of African Descent. The Permanent Forum sees this as an opportunity to reinforce global solidarity for concrete progress.
Together with other stakeholders, it has pushed for progress in three areas: recognition, justice, and development.
Measures include increased recognition of systemic and structural racism, pursuit of reparatory justice, and greater efforts toward including people of African descent in all development frameworks.
In the digital age, there are human rights concerns that were not addressed during the first decade that still need to be tackled.
These include issues like environmental and climate justice, fair application of artificial intelligence, digital justice, and the rights of those facing discrimination.
Mr. Kimani highlighted the Permanent Forum’s engagement on these topics, noting that digital justice was discussed during its annual session last April in New York.
“The pursuit of reparatory justice is crucial in this digital era, as systemic inequities may be replicated and amplified in emerging technologies,” he pointed out.
The Forum expressed concern over racial biases in artificial intelligence systems while also recognizing AI’s potential societal contributions.
“AI and digital technologies must be viewed within the context of broader historical and contemporary injustices that shape them,” he added.
Moreover, the annual session focused on the situation of women and girls of African descent and their experiences with intersecting discrimination.
“The dehumanization of African women from the onset of enslavement has led to their continued devaluation and discrimination today,” he stated.
Development goals cannot be met without reparatory measures explicitly addressing their realities.
Last year, there was also continued discussion on reparatory justice, which is vital for recognizing and addressing systemic and structural disadvantages comprehensively.
This encompasses areas such as restitution of legal rights or property, compensation for harm, and satisfaction, including truth verification, public acknowledgment, and apology.
In Haiti, violence forces people to flee their homes as night falls.
Turning to the situation in Haiti, Mr. Kimani highlighted that its current crisis is deeply rooted in the legacies of colonization and enslavement.
Haiti, the first country to abolish slavery through revolution, gained independence from France in 1804 but was forced to pay 150 million francs for property lost during the uprising.
The Permanent Forum has issued concrete recommendations, including a focus on reparatory justice and acknowledgment of the “independence debt.”
He urged the Human Rights Council to consider Haiti’s crisis in this context.
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