UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
“No country is free of racism.” That warning from US youth activist Marley Dias set the tone on Monday as UN Member States reinvigorated global efforts against racism, discrimination and xenophobia.
What you need to know
- Adopted in South Africa in 2001, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is a blueprint for stamping out racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
- From a rise in racist speech, to calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery, delegates lauded progress so far – but underscored the work ahead
- Follow our live coverage of the day-long high-level meeting here
During the meeting, Ms. Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, urged States to confront the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism and discrimination, emphasising many young people have never been taught the histories that shaped the institutions and societies they inherited.
Recalling that she launched #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was 11 – because she could not find girls like herself in books at school – she underscored the power of representation and education.
Further, youth must be central to full implementation of the Durban Declaration, she said, including through accurate and accessible digital educational materials.
“Let’s write a new chapter together,” she said.
Landmark blueprint
The 2001 adoption of the Durban Declaration followed widespread and grave concern over entrenched racism since the UN’s inception, from colonialism to 46 years of South African apartheid.
The United Nations and the international community are continuing to work towards dismantling systemic racism to establish dignity, equality and justice for all.
Here are some highlights:
- 1948: Declaration of Human Rights
- 1963: UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
- 1978: First World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
New tech threats
During the day-long meeting on Monday, some delegates pointed to new and emerging challenges. Voicing deep concern over “the alarming resurgence of all forms of racism”, the representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, called on States to combat racism, hate speech and religious intolerance, both online and offline.
Social media enables messages of hatred to spread “at alarming speed”, alongside information and disinformation increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence (AI), she said.
While new technologies can be “extremely beneficial for sustainable development if used responsibly”, countries must work together to ensure that technological developments “contribute to a better world and do not perpetuate or exacerbate existing and structural inequalities”.
Calls for slavery reparations
Some delegates called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Adam Tesfaye Abera, Chief of Staff at Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its Programme of Action, highlighting the urgent need for reparations for colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said the Durban Declaration was a reminder that colonialism, genocide, apartheid and slavery have profound and lasting consequences and that “historical injustice cannot be overcome through remembrance alone, it requires justice and reparation”.
The declaration carries particular significance for Palestinians, Mr. Mansour said, recalling that 25 years ago it expressed concern over their plight under foreign occupation and recognised their right to self-determination and an independent State.
Defeating ‘poison’ of racism
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger laws, inclusive institutions and reparatory justice to combat racism – a “poison” rooted in slavery and colonialism that is still potent today.
The Secretary-General highlighted discrimination faced by people of African descent as well as Indigenous Peoples, migrants, refugees and minorities.
Around the world, “racism continues to poison societies, deepen inequalities and deny people their fundamental rights and freedoms,” he said.
‘Antidote’ to a toxic legacy
Pointing out that it “is deeply rooted in the entrenched legacies of colonialism, enslavement and oppression”, Mr. Guterres said racism takes many forms, from economic, social and political inequalities, both within and across countries, to discriminatory laws, policies and institutions.
Moreover, digital tools and technologies “are amplifying the spread of hate speech and disinformation, perpetuating lies and harmful stereotypes, and fuelling violence and abuse,” he warned.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” he said.
Reject injustice, support change
In this regard, the UN chief called for making concrete change during the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which began in December 2024.
“And we need to see the universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he added.
“Together, let’s reject injustice,” he said. “Together, let’s build societies where racism and discrimination have no place – today and for all time.”
