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RESOLUTION Inter-American Week For People Of African Descent In The Americas

  February 21, 2018

CP/RES. 1093 (2144/18)
(Adopted by the Permanent Council at its regular meeting on February 21, 2018)

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

RECALLING:

The Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the American Convention on Human Rights, the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Protocol of San Salvador), the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Social Charter of the Americas, the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance, and the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance;

General Assembly resolutions AG/RES. 2824 (XLIV-O/14), which recognizes the International Decade for People of African Descent, and AG/RES. 2891 (XLVI-O/16), which adopts the Plan of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent in the Americas (2016–2025); and

That the Plan of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent in the Americas (2016–2025) envisages, among other activities, the annual commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on March 25, focusing on eminent persons of African descent who made significant contributions to the abolition of the slave trade and to the promotion of civil rights in the Americas,

RESOLVES:

1. To declare around the 25th of March each year as the “Inter-American Week for People of African Descent in the Americas”.

2. To invite member states to commemorate that week with activities that promote greater understanding of the significance of slavery and the slave trade, and of their consequences for the lives of people of African descent, and that acknowledge the significant contributions of persons of African descent to the politics, economies, cultures, and societies of the region.


3. To call upon the General Secretariat to mark that week with activities that foster greater awareness and respect for the diversity of the heritage and culture of people of African descent and their contribution to the development of societies, subject to the availability of financial resources in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

4. To encourage the Secretariats and Offices of the General Secretariat in the member states to make all efforts to fulfill the mandates assigned to the different areas of the OAS, as provided in the Plan of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent in the Americas (2016–2025).

Reference: S-004/18