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OAS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF JOINING EFFORTS TO FIGHT AGAINST RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION

Brazil’s Special Secretary for the Promotion of Racial Equality Policies, Matile Ribeiro, headlined the twenty-fourth conference in the Lecture Series of the Americas today at the Organization of American States (OAS), highlighting the progress and challenges ahead in terms of the real problem of racism and discrimination and underscored the importance of international cooperation to overcome this scourge.

Speaking to diplomats, students, academics and civil society representatives on “Combating Racism and Discrimination: A Policy of Inclusion”, Ribeiro described the problem of racism as “a cruel form of discrimination that is still displayed repetitively and affects in particular populations of African and indigenous descendents, which damages their right to legal and material equality.”

“According to our point of view, overcoming this reality as well as promoting equality are necessary conditions to completely consolidate democracy in our country. There will not be an effective democracy in Brazil, or in any other nation, as long as the wounds of racism, xenophobia and any other forms of intolerance remain open,” said the high-level official.

The keynote speaker shared her country’s efforts to promote racial equality, stressing the different public policies implemented by the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In this context, she recognized the importance of strengthening international cooperation and searching for sustainable solutions for more just and equal societies.

“We realize that the undesirable reality of racism and discrimination is not only present in one country, rather it is spread through all of the Americas, and other regions of the world. This is a global phenomenon that afflicts important segments of humanity,” emphasized Ribeiro.

In welcoming Matilde Ribeiro, the Secretary General of the Organization, José Miguel Insulza, outlined the initiatives to combat racism and discrimination enshrined in the OAS Charter, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the American Declaration of Rights of Men, and resolutions of the General Assembly, among others.

Insulza recalled that the General Assembly of 2005 entrusted the Permanent Council with instituting a working group charged with receiving contributions for the drafting of an Inter-American Convention against Racism and All forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. The Secretary General recalled that this group “already has a preliminary draft of the convention prepared with the active participation of the Member States and also of civil society, and I hope we can substantially advance in its approval as soon as possible.”

“Our Convention should definitely reflect the commitment of our States in building—looking towards the 21st century—inclusive societies, exposing the costs of social exclusion and the benefits of creating diverse societies. It should also make a direct reference to the existing relation between poverty and discrimination,” concluded the OAS Secretary General.

Created by the OAS Permanent Council to promote principles and values in the countries of the hemisphere, the Lecture Series of the Americas invites internationally renowned speakers to address key issues such as democracy, human rights, social development, hemispheric security and the fight against poverty. The conferences are possible thanks to financial contributions from Peru’s San Martin de Porres University and the governments of China and France.

Reference: E-323/07