From Rhetoric to Reality a Global Call for Concrete Action Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance

A/HRC/RES/48/18View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 9 Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, published in 2021.

What other versions does this mandate have?

12 versions · 2008–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/60/16

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/HRC/RES/60/16	From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :	5,088	43%Compare
2024	A/HRC/RES/57/25	From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :	4,748	53%Compare
2023	A/HRC/RES/54/27	From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :	3,890	46%Compare
2022	A/HRC/RES/51/32	From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :	4,998	49%Compare
2021	A/HRC/RES/48/18	From rhetoric to reality a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance :	3,402	26%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

8 subjects

Anti-Discrimination Measures Equality Group Hatred People of African Descent Programmes of Action Public Information Racial Discrimination Xenophobia

What’s in this document?

21 operative paragraphs

Underscores the importance of political will and commitment to eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Underlines the imperative need for the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as the instructive outcome document of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance for combating the scourge of racism, including its contemporary and resurgent forms, some of which have regrettably taken violent forms, as well as of the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Continues to be alarmed at the resurgent violent manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance precipitated by scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous ideologies, such as white supremacy, as well as by extremist nationalist and populist ideologies, and underlines in this respect that human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person;

Encourages States to make the requisite declaration in accordance with article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within their jurisdiction under its complaints procedure;

Reaffirms the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which, at its tenth session, commenced discussions on the elaboration of a draft additional protocol to the Convention;⁵

⁵See A/HRC/46/66.

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations made by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at its eighteenth session;

Emphasizes the paramount importance of universal adherence to and the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action for promoting equality and non-discrimination around the world;

Requests the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to convene its eighth session for five working days, in 2022, and to submit a report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session, and in this regard requests the Chair of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the agenda item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at that session;

Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the financial and human resources necessary for the Group of Independent Eminent Experts to fulfil its mandate effectively;

Deplores the ongoing use of social media platforms to incite hatred and violence, inter alia against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, while reaffirming the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and calls upon States to prohibit by law any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, including that propagated in information and communications technology;

Calls upon all States that have not yet done so, and consistent with paragraph 75 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to consider withdrawing their reservations on article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and on articles 18, 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Welcomes the convening of regional meetings organized by the Office of the High Commissioner to effectively implement the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent, encourages Member States and other stakeholders to adopt action-orientated recommendations at these meetings, and calls upon States, regional organizations and other stakeholders to facilitate the participation of civil society from their respective countries and regions at the meetings, and recognizes the contributing role that national human rights institutions and civil society organizations can play in supporting States’ measures to prevent and eliminate all forms of racial discrimination;

Notes the establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, in accordance with the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent and in close coordination with existing mechanisms, and reiterates that the Permanent Forum should be provided with all necessary and adequate substantive secretariat support;

Requests the Advisory Committee to prepare a study in which it examines patterns, policies and processes contributing to incidents of racial discrimination and makes proposals to advance racial justice and equality, which should be firmly anchored in the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the attainment of its Goals, in consultation where possible with the Office of the High Commissioner and the international independent expert mechanism to advance racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 47/21, and to present the study to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-fourth session;

Requests the United Nations system to strengthen its awareness-raising campaigns to increase the visibility of the message of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, its follow-up mechanisms and the work of the United Nations in the fight against racism;

Requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the High Commissioner to implement fully paragraphs 32 and 34 of General Assembly resolution 75/237, on outreach and a public information campaign for the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and follow-up thereto;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to establish and launch a two-year comprehensive communications strategy, inclusive of an outreach programme to raise awareness about and mobilize global public support for racial equality, including about the content and contribution of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the activities of the strategy should include the publication and wide dissemination through United Nations information centres and the field presences of the Office of the High Commissioner, also in easily accessible printed and digital formats, of the Convention, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent, in all official languages of the United Nations; engagement with universities, schools and other educational entities; identifying new challenges for individuals and groups facing racial discrimination on social media; the production of promotional material on racial equality with a youth-friendly approach for educational purposes; publicizing positive examples of the implementation of the Convention and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; engagement with news media; outreach to civil society to enhance networking; and engagement with the general public, mainly young people, on social media; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the strategy and outreach programme with the necessary resources;

Requests the High Commissioner to improve and streamline the section of the website of the Office of the High Commissioner dedicated to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to raise the visibility of the follow-up activities of the Human Rights Council, its working groups, its special procedure mandate holders and the human rights treaty bodies in relation to its implementation;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner, Member States and other stakeholders to include in their annual updates to the Intergovernmental Working Group for the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action information on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including on the activities conducted in the context of the outreach programme, and also requests the Office to include information on the implementation of the communications strategy in the annual report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on global efforts in the fight against racism;

Acknowledges the work done by the Office of the High Commissioner, and requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide the resources necessary for the effective functioning of Durban follow-up mechanisms and to give high priority to the issue of preventing and combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the work of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Decides to remain seized of this important issue.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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