A Global Call for Concrete Action for the 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

A/RES/78/234View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 69b Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, published in 2023.

What other versions does this mandate have?

5 versions · 2022–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/193

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/193	A global call for concrete action for the 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	6,045	58%Compare
2024	A/RES/79/161	A global call for concrete action for the 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	5,026	62%Compare
2023	A/RES/78/234	A global call for concrete action for the 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	4,798	89%Compare
2023	A/RES/77/205	A global call for concrete action for the 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	4,545	79%Compare
2022	A/RES/76/226	A global call for concrete action for the 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	4,091	–

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

5 reports · 2022–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2026	A/81/337	A global call for concrete action for the 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	A/RES/80/193
2025	A/80/324	A global call for concrete action for the 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	A/RES/79/161
2024	A/79/361	A global call for concrete action for the 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	A/RES/78/234
2023	A/78/197	A global call for concrete action for the 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	A/RES/77/205
2022	A/77/294	A global call for 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 report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/76/226

What subjects does this mandate have?

9 subjects

Anniversaries Anti-Discrimination Measures Information Dissemination People of African Descent Programme Implementation Programmes of Action Racial Discrimination Trust Funds Xenophobia

What’s in this document?

55 operative paragraphs

I.International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Reaffirms 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,¹¹ adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965, in addressing the scourges of racism and racial discrimination;

¹¹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 660, No. 9464.

Calls upon States that have not done so to accede to and/or ratify the Convention, and States parties to consider making the declaration under article 14 of the Convention;

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 to article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination;

Underlines, in the above context, that the provisions of the Convention do not respond effectively to contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination, in particular in relation to xenophobia and related intolerance, which is recognized as the rationale behind the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001;

Takes note of the acknowledgement by the Human Rights Council and its subsidiary structures of the existence of both procedural and substantive gaps in the Convention, which must be filled as a matter of urgency, necessity and priority;

Expresses its concern at the lack of progress in the elaboration of complementary standards to the Convention to fill existing gaps through the development of new normative standards aimed at combating all forms of contemporary and resurgent scourges of racism;

Recalls Human Rights Council resolution 34/36 of 24 March 2017,¹² in which the Council requested the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to ensure the commencement of the negotiations on the draft additional protocol to the Convention criminalizing acts of a racist and xenophobic nature during the tenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee, and takes note of the report of the thirteenth session of the Committee in this regard;

¹²See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/72/53), chap. IV, sect. A.

Requests the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to present a progress report to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session;

II.International Decade for People of African Descent

Recalls the proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as contained in its resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, and the celebratory launch of the Decade on 10 December 2014;

Also recalls the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as adopted in its resolution 69/16 of 18 November 2014;

Welcomes the establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, through its resolution 75/314 of 2 August 2021, which determines its mandate and composition, as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders and 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;

Also welcomes the convening of the first two sessions of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the large participation of civil society and people of African descent from around the world;

Notes with concern the limited resources available in support of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

Requests the Secretary-General to enhance the operational and programmatic support provided to the Permanent Forum secretariat, in particular to fully support the mandate of the Permanent Forum, including in the logistical organization of the annual session;

Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to devote at least half of its annual session to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent, and also requests the Intergovernmental Working Group to present a status report on the elaboration of the draft declaration to be considered by the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session;¹³

¹³See resolution 69/16.

Invites the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, in accordance with their respective mandates, to contribute to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

Recalls the draft programme of action for the International Decade for People of African Descent as an instructive framework in which all the initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people of African descent are anchored and which, if adopted, would contribute to the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Also recalls that the Secretary-General will convene a final assessment of the Decade, to take place within the framework of a high-level international event, marking the closure of the Decade in 2024;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly, before the end of its eightieth session, on practical steps to be taken to make a Second International Decade effective;

Requests the President of the General Assembly to take into consideration the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, drafted by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and adopted in resolution 69/16, and the theme of the International Decade for People of African Descent, “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development”, with a view to proclaiming the decade starting in 2025 the Second International Decade for People of African Descent;

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent¹⁴ and on 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;¹⁵

¹⁴A/78/317.

¹⁵A/78/197.

Acknowledges and profoundly regrets the untold suffering and evils inflicted on millions of men and women and children as a result of slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide and past tragedies, noting that some States have taken the initiative to apologize and have paid reparations, where appropriate, for grave and massive violations committed, further calls upon those that have not yet expressed remorse or presented apologies to find some way to contribute to the restoration of the dignity of victims, and calls upon all the relevant States that have not already done so to dispense reparatory justice, contributing to the development and recognition of the dignity of the affected States and their people;

Takes note of the report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent,¹⁶ invites the Human Rights Council, through the Chair of the Working Group, to continue to submit a report on the work of the Working Group to the General Assembly, and in this regard invites the Chair of the Working Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at its seventy-ninth session;

¹⁶A/78/277.

Takes note with appreciation of the proclamation of 31 August as the International Day for People of African Descent, and invites all Member States, all organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, the private sector and academia, as well as civil society, to observe the International Day for People of African Descent in an appropriate manner, in accordance with its resolution 75/170 of 16 December 2020;

Stresses that everyone, including people and communities of African descent, should be able to participate in an inclusive manner and guide the design and implementation of processes that contribute to halting, reversing and repairing the lasting consequences and ongoing manifestations of systemic racism, and notably acknowledges the important role that young people have played and should continue to play in these processes;

Encourages States to examine the extent and impact of systemic racism and to adopt effective legal, policy and institutional measures that address racism beyond a summation of individualized acts, recommends that progress be measured according to indicators grounded in impact rather than intent, and further calls for the recognition of the impact of racial discrimination and inequality experienced by children and youth of African descent in all areas of life, including the administration of justice, law enforcement, education, health, family life and development;¹⁷

¹⁷See A/77/294.

Welcomes the establishment of an international independent expert mechanism, comprising three experts with law enforcement and human rights expertise, aimed at furthering transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement globally, especially where relating to the legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade in enslaved Africans, to investigate the responses of Governments to peaceful anti-racism protests and all violations of international human rights law and to contribute to accountability and redress for victims;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat to continue awareness-raising efforts and public information campaigns in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent through the use of social networks and digital media, including the wide distribution of user-friendly, concise and accessible versions of material in this regard;

III.Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards and the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, and in this regard to ensure the participation of experts in each session of those follow-up mechanisms in order to provide advice on the specific issues under discussion and assist the mechanisms in their deliberations and the adoption of action-oriented recommendations in relation to the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action;

Recalls Human Rights Council resolutions 43/1 and 47/21, and also recalls the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers and the annex thereto, entitled “Four-point Agenda towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality”, submitted pursuant to resolution 43/1;¹⁸

¹⁸A/HRC/47/53.

Stresses the importance of consolidating all efforts aimed at combating racism under a single anti-racial discrimination unit, including on the issues of racial equality and justice;

IV.Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Welcomes the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on its eighth session,¹⁹ and in this regard notes that the session was held from 8 to 12 August 2022;

¹⁹See A/78/535.

Recalls its resolution 77/205 and the recommendations contained therein with regard to the Group of Independent Eminent Experts, and further agrees to limit the tenure of the Eminent Experts to four years, which may be renewed once, and that the current Experts will continue to serve until the appointment of new Experts is finalized;

Also recalls the request to the Secretary-General to appoint the five Eminent Experts, one from each region, from among candidates proposed by the President of the Human Rights Council, after consultation with the regional groups, in line with the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action²⁰ and paragraph 13 of resolution 56/266, by the end of 2023;

²⁰A/CONF.189/12, para. 191 (b).

Requests the five regional groups to nominate a candidate for appointment to the Group of Independent Eminent Experts in a timely fashion;

V.Trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

Recalls the establishment by the Secretary-General, in 1973, of the trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination as a funding mechanism that has been utilized for the implementation of the activities of the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination declared by the General Assembly, and in this regard appreciates the fact that the trust fund has also been utilized for the subsequent programmes and operational activities transcending the three Decades;

Requests the Secretary-General to include, in his report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session, a section outlining the progress in the implementation of paragraph 18 of its resolution 68/151 of 18 December 2013 regarding the revitalization of the trust fund for the purpose of ensuring the successful implementation of the activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent and enhancing the effectiveness of the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Strongly appeals to all Governments, intergovernmental and non-‍governmental organizations and individuals, as well as other donors in a position to do so, to contribute generously to the trust fund, and to that end requests the Secretary-General to continue to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions;

VI.Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,²¹ and encourages the Special Rapporteur, within her mandate, to continue to focus on the issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and incitement to hatred, which impede peaceful coexistence and harmony within societies, and to submit reports in this regard to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly;

²¹A/78/302.

Reiterates its previous requests to the Special Rapporteur to consider examining national models of mechanisms that measure racial equality and their value added in the eradication of racial discrimination and to report on such challenges, successes and best practices in her next report, and expresses concern at the lack of progress in this regard;

VII.Commemoration of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Takes note with appreciation of the adoption of a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up processes during a one day high-level meeting of the General Assembly, on 22 September 2021, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, under the theme “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent”;²²

²²Political declaration entitled “United against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (resolution 76/1).

Emphasizes the critical importance of increasing public support for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the participation of civil society and other relevant stakeholders in its realization, and 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;²³

²³See Human Rights Council resolution 51/32; see also A/77/233.

Invites Member States, United Nations entities, international and regional organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to organize and support various high-visibility initiatives, aimed at effectively increasing awareness at all levels, to commemorate the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach, with the involvement of Member States and United Nations funds and programmes, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to appropriately commemorate the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Calls upon Member States and the United Nations system to intensify efforts to widely distribute copies of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and encourages efforts to ensure its translation and wide dissemination;

Expresses its appreciation for the continuing work of the mechanisms mandated to follow up on the World Conference and the Durban Review Conference;

VIII.Follow-up and implementation activities

Acknowledges the guidance and leadership role of the Human Rights Council, and encourages it to continue to oversee the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome documents of the Durban Review Conferences, including the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Human Rights Council with all the support necessary for it to achieve its objectives in this regard;

Welcomes the further consideration by the Human Rights Council, at its fifty-fourth session, of the question of a multi-year programme of activities to provide for the renewed and strengthened outreach activities needed to inform and mobilize the global public in support of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to strengthen awareness of the contribution that they have made in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in consultation with Member States, national human rights institutions, relevant civil society organizations and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes;

Also welcomes the efforts undertaken by the Human Rights Council, through its Advisory Committee, in preparing a study on appropriate ways and means of assessing the situation regarding racial equality, while identifying possible gaps and overlaps;

Further welcomes the commemorative event held on 21 March 2023 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;

Takes note with appreciation of the commemorative plenary meeting of the General Assembly held on 27 March 2023 to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, on the theme “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education”;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution;

Requests the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Human Rights Council to continue to convene annual commemorative meetings of the Assembly and the Council during the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with the appropriate focus and themes, and in this context encourages the participation of eminent personalities active in the struggle against racial discrimination, Member States and civil society organizations in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Assembly and the Council, respectively;

Decides to remain seized of this priority matter at its seventy-ninth session under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”.

50th (resumed) plenary meeting

22 December 2023