Milestones and Challenges in the Advancement of the Rights of Afro-Descendants in the Americas
February 25, 2013

The IACHR co-organized with the Department of International Affairs of the OAS a Roundtable Discussion under the name “Milestones and Challenges in the Advancement of the Rights of Afro-Descendants in the Americas.” It will take place on February 25, 2013, in the Hall of the Americas of the Main Bulding of the Organization, in Washington, D.C. The topic will be presented by U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, Representative of the Fifth Congressional District of New York, United States House of Representatives. The panel discussion, moderated by Ambassador Deborah Mae Lovell, Permanent Representative of Antigua & Barbuda to the OAS, will consist of Francisco Lopez, President of the Bert Corona Leadership Institute; Robert J. Cottrol, Professor of History and Sociology, and Harold Paul green Rsearch Professor of Law at George Washington University; and Zakiya Carr Johnson, Senior Advisor to the Race, Ethnicity and Social Inclusion Unit in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. The welcoming remarks will be made by the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, and the closing remarks by the IACHR Executive Secretary, Emilio Alvarez Icaza. This event will be Webcast: www.oas.org

See here the complete program

OAS Working Group
October-November 2012

The Working Group to Prepare the Draft Legally-Binding Inter-American Instruments Against Racism and Racial Discrimination and Against all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance met on October 23, November 6, and November 12, 2012. The Office of the Rapporteurship participated in these meetings to offer technical assistance and observations on the Draft Convention.

IGWG on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
October 2012

On October 15 and 16, 2012, the Rapporteurship participated in the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. This took place in Geneva, Switzerland. A specialist of the Rapporteurship delivered a presentation on the topic The enhancement of international and regional cooperation with regard to the implementation of the DDPA. The presentation covered three main areas:

• how regional cooperation in the Americas has already contributed to the Durban Agenda (such as the Rapporteurship on People of African Descent/Racial Discrimination and Draft Convention/instruments on Racism/Discrimination)
• challenges to regional/international cooperation
• recommendations for strengthening regional/international cooperation in the implementation of the DDPA (based on the Inter-American experience) The Working Group comprises a number of UN Member States and Observer NGOs, and is chaired by Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the United Nations. Participation in the Working Group’s session also provided the opportunity to distribute copies of the Rapporteurship’s 2011 thematic report, and to generally engage delegations on the work of the Rapporteurship and the OAS in advancing the DDPA.

The National Forum: Afrodescendant Populations in Mexico, 2012
September 2012

On September 27, 2012, Commissioner Rose-Marie Belle Antoine gave a keynote address at The National Forum: Afrodescendant Populations in Mexico, 2012. The two-day National Forum on Afro-Descendant Populations took place in Mexico City with the aim of opening a national dialogue on the rights, recognition and social inclusion of Black Mexicans. Participants include Afro-Mexican community groups, government officials and academics.

IACHR Launches Report on the Situation of People of African Descent at meeting of CARICOM

On July 6, 2012, at the 33rd meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government, held in St. Lucia, the Inter-American Commission presented the report on The Situation of People of African Descent, as well as briefings on the IACHR’s work, particularly on the rights of human rights defenders. Leading the IACHR team were Commissioner Jose de Jesus de Orozco, Chair and Rapporteur on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders; Commissioner Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Rapporteur on the Rights of People of African Descent and Against Racial Discrimination; and the IACHR Interim Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Abi-Mershed. Prime Minister Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts-Nevis was guest speaker, while CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque, offered welcoming remarks. Other CARICOM dignitaries in attendance included Prime Minister Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia, Prime Minister Tilman Thomas of Grenada, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and the Chief Minister of Anguilla, Hubert Hughes.  

Report The Situation of People of African Descent in the Americas (2011)

Presentation by Rapporteur at session of Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
May 2012

Tthe UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent conducted their 11th regular session in Geneva between April 30 and May 4. The Rapporteur was invited to be part of a panel discussion on the draft programme of action on the proposed UN Decade of People of African Descent. By Resolution A/RES/66/144 of December 19, 2011, the UN General Assembly mandated the Working Group of Experts “to develop a programme of action, including a theme, for adoption by the Human Rights Council, with a view to proclaiming the decade starting in 2013 the Decade for People of African Descent”.

Commissioner Antoine, in her remarks to the Working Group, pledged the full support of her Rapporteurship to the broad agenda of the Decade for People of African Descent. She emphasized that collaboration between the UN and regional bodies like the OAS, will be essential in ensuring the success of the Decade, and its agenda. Referring to the recent publication of the Report The Situation of People of African Descent in the Americas, Commissioner Antoine pointed out that it documents many of the challenges faced by Afro-descendants in the Americas and it can be deployed as a tool in advancing the agenda of the Decade for People of African Descent.

Working Group to Prepare a Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance
April 2012

The Working Group to Prepare the Draft Legally-Binding Inter-American Instruments Against Racism and Racial Discrimination and Against all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance met in April 2012. The Office of the Rapporteurship participated in two meetings of this Working Group to offer technical assistance and observations on the Draft Convention.

Afro XXI: Iberoamerican Meeting in the International Year of Afrodescendants

The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afrodescendants and against Racial Discrimination of the IACHR participated in the event “Afro XXI: Iberoamerican Meeting on the International Year of Afrodescendants”, which took, place in El Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil, on November 16 to 19, 2011. During the meeting, the specialist of the Rapporteurship, Leonardo Hidaka, gave a preseentation on the national and international legal frameworks on racial discrimination and access to justice for afrodescendant persons. The event was organized by the Iberoamerican General Secretariat, along with the Federal Government of Brazil, the State Government of Bahia, the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation, and several specialized agencies of the United Nations Organization. The event was held in attention to the Resolution that proclaimed year 2011 as the International Year of Afrodescendants, aiming to strengthen the national measures and the regional and international cooperation for the full exercise of human rights by afrodescendants. The general goal of the Iberoamerican Meeting was to visibilize the presence of afrodescendants in the Hemisphere, the main difficulties they face, the social, cultural and economic contributions the afrodescendant communities make to Iberoamerica, highlight inclusive public policies and good practices, and debate strategies for social inclusion of afrodescendants in the different national contexts and their contributions to development.

Questionnaire on The Situation of People of African Descent in the Americas (May 2011)

In May 2011, the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination prepared this questionnaire with a view to collecting information that might account for the situation, problems and challenges faced by people of African descent in the Americas. The information received will be systematized and examined by the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-descendants and against Racial Discrimination of the IACHR in a thematic report aimed at identifying the main difficulties faced by people of African descent in the region and promoting the implementation of international standards, in order to assist States in the adoption and execution of policies that undertake to effectively ensure and protect the rights of persons of African descent. Responses to the questionnaire will be received until June 30, 2011 at the following address:

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Organization of American States
1889 F street, NW
Washington DC 20006
lhidaka@oas.org
tgos@oas.org

• Questionnaire for States
• Questionnaire for Civil Society

Training Workshop on the Inter-American System of Human Rights for Afro-descendent Leaders (March 2011)

On March 15, 2011, the Rapporteurship and the non-governmental organization Global Rights – Partners for Justice offered a Training Workshop on the Inter-American System of Human Rights for Afro-descendent Leaders in the Americas. Seventeen representatives of civil society from nine country of the region participated.

Regional Conference: “The Situation of People of African Descent in the Americas: Prospects and Challenges” (March 2011)

To mark the International Year for People of African Descent, the IACHR’s Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination organized the Regional Conference “The Situation of People of African Descent in the Americas – Prospects and Challenges,” which took place on March 14, 2011. This conference was co-sponsored by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations and by the non-governmental organization Global Rights – Partners for Justice.

• Program
• Videos of the Conference
• Photo Gallery of the Conference on the OAS Flickr website
• Bios of the panelists
• Press Release announcing the Conference
• Invitation to Participate in the Conference
  Available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese
• United Nations Resolution A/RES/64/169: International Year for People of African Descent
• OAS Resolution AG/RES. 2550 (XL-O/10): Recognition of the International Year for People of African Descent

Second Meeting of Colombian Pacific Coast Organizations with International Cooperation Bodies (October 2010)

The Office of the Rapporteur participated in and carried out a presentation on the inter-American system and on the report Preliminary Observations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights after the Visit of the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination to the Republic of Colombia, during the Second Meeting of Colombian Pacific Coast Organizations with International Cooperation Bodies. The event, organized by the USAID Human Rights Program and the Trust for the Americas, was held in Tumaco, Colombia, on October 12, 2010. Participants in the course included more than 100 Afro-Colombian human rights activists from the cities of Tumaco (department of Nariño), Buenaventura (department of Valle del Cauca), and Quibdó (department of Chocó).

Increasing the Participation and Advocacy of Afro-Descendants at the OAS (September 2010)

The Office of the Rapporteur gave a presentation on the inter-American human rights system, during a training workshop on Increasing the Participation and Advocacy of Afro-Descendants at the Organization of American States and the Summit of the Americas Process. The event, organized by Global Rights−Partners for Justice, took place on September 15, 2010, in Washington, D.C. It brought together 19 Afro-descendant human rights activists from 11 countries in the Americas.

Increasing the Participation and Advocacy of Afro-Descendants at the OAS (September 2009)

On September 16, 2009, attorney specialist Leonardo Hidaka of the Office of the Rapporteur gave a presentation during a training workshop on Increasing the Participation and Advocacy of Afro-Descendants at the Organization of American States and the Summit of the Americas Process. The event, organized by Global Rights−Partners for Justice, included the participation of 17 Afro-descendant activists from around the hemisphere.

Durban Review Conference in Geneva (April 2009)

The Rapporteur, Sir Clare Roberts, participated in the Durban Review Conference, which took place April 20-24, 2009, in Geneva, Switzerland. He also offered a presentation during an alternate event on “People of African Descent: assessing the progress made since Durban and the way forward.” In the presentation, the Rapporteur described the work of the IACHR since the 2005 creation of its Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants, with a view to encouraging the States to recognize the existence of their population of African descent and the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, pursuant to paragraph 33 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Regional Preparatory Conference of the Durban Review Conference (June 2008)

On June 17-19, 2008, the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination participated in the UN Regional Preparatory Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in Brasilia, Brazil. The event was held in connection with the review process of the Durban Plan of Action adopted at the conclusion of the UN World Conference Against Racism, which took place in 2001 in South Africa (Durban Review Process). The Rapporteur gave remarks with respect to the role of regional mechanisms, in particular that of the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. He also offered observations on progress and challenges to the protection of the rights of people of African descent with respect to the goals of the Durban Plan of Action, their implementation, and the evaluation of the impact of such measures. Specifically, the Rapporteur discussed the importance of the process to develop a regional instrument against racism and racial discrimination, and encouraged all members to participate in the process.

Advisory Support to the Working Group to Prepare a Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance

On October 20, 2005, during the 123rd period of sessions of the IACHR, the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination, Sir Clare Roberts, gave a presentation to the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the OAS Permanent Council, which is responsible for drafting a new inter-American convention against racial discrimination. In his presentation, the Rapporteur underscored the importance that the Convention will have in waging a more effective struggle against racism in the Americas.

First National Conference for the Promotion of Racial Equality, Brazil

In July 2005, the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination participated in Brazil's First National Conference for the Promotion of Racial Equality.