On Thursday, October 12, 2017, Uruguay deposited its instrument of ratification of the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States.

This Convention was adopted by the OAS General Assembly in June 2013 together with the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance, after 13 years of negotiation. So far, the Convention has been signed by 12 countries, and ratified by Costa Rica. With the deposit of its instrument of ratification, Uruguay becomes the second State party to the Convention, which will thus enter into force on November 11, 2017.

The Inter-American Convention establishes important standards in relation to aspects that are contained in few or no other international treaty, such as the recognition that discrimination may occur in both the public and private spheres, the possibility of sanctioning multiple or indirect racial discrimination, and consecrating the adoption of affirmative measures within public policies of the States Parties. It also call for the establishment of an An Inter-American Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Racism, Racial Discrimination, and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance, whose first meeting shall be held after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification of any of the two Conventions. In addition, it recognizes the competence of both the Inter-American Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in case of violations of human rights contained therein.

The Department of International Law of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs of the OAS closely followed the negotiation process of the Convention, providing legal and technical advice to the Working Group in charge. Furthermore, in its capacity as depositary of all inter-American treaties, it maintains an electronic database with the official text of the Convention as well as the current status of signatures and ratifications. The database can be consulted in the following links: