Mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

Requests all Governments to cooperate fully with the Working Group in the discharge of its mandate, including by responding promptly to the Working Group’s communications and by providing the information requested;

Requests the Working Group to submit an annual report to the Human Rights Council on all activities relating to its mandate, and to the General Assembly in the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Also requests the Working Group to pay special attention in its annual report to the gender dimension of the impact of racism, racial discrimination, and systemic racism on women and girls and men and boys of African descent and to make specific recommendations in this regard, and encourages the Working Group to collect information from Member States and all relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in the preparation of its report;

Further requests the Working Group to contribute to the review of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Requests States, non-governmental organizations, relevant human rights treaty bodies, special procedures and other mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, national human rights institutions, international financial and development institutions and United Nations specialized agencies, programmes and funds to collaborate with the Working Group, including by, inter alia, providing it with the necessary information and, where possible, reports in order to enable the Working Group to carry out its mandate, including with regard to field missions;

Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen the substantive and administrative support provided to the Working Group in order for it to effectively fulfil its mandate, taking into consideration the additional tasks and responsibilities assigned to the Working Group over the past 20 years and other relevant activities with relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Requests that sufficient travel funds be provided for the Working Group secretariat to accompany the Working Group on all of its visits;

Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide the Working Group with all the human, technical and financial assistance necessary for the sustainable and effective fulfilment of its mandate;