As a Vincentian Family, we work at addressing the needs of today. After multiple centuries of slavery and colonialism, we are called to respond to the aftereffects upon the human family in our modern world.

The UN regularly dedicates a year to an issue which has come to their attention. It is significant that the UN decided to have a decade for People of African Descent. The decade runs from 2015 to 2024.

“This Decade is an opportunity for focused and concerted action,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. “My hope is that a decade from now, the human rights situation of people of African descent world-wide will be vastly improved.”

According to the UN, the overall objective of the decade is to promote respect, protection, and fulfillment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Right. In particular:

1. Strengthening national, regional, and international action for full enjoyment of all their rights
2. Promoting greater knowledge of, and respect for, their diverse heritage, culture, and contribution to the development of societies.
3. Adopting and strengthening national, regional, and international legal frameworks, according to the Durban Declaration and Program of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to ensure their full and effective implementation.

UN unveils permanent memorial to victims of transatlantic slave trade

Why a decade for People of African Descent? There are around 2 million persons of African descent living in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside the African continent. Across the globe, Africans and the African diaspora continue to suffer inequalities and disadvantages because of the legacy of slavery and colonialism. People of African descent are among the poorest and most marginalized. They may experience discrimination in their access to justice, and face high rates of police violence and racial profiling.

The International Decade paves the way for cooperation among states, international and regional organizations and civil society to improve the human rights situation and well-being for people of African descent.

What is the program of activities for the International Decade? The program of activities for the International Decade, adopted by the UN General Assembly, in 2014, in Resolution69/16, outlines specific actions to be taken in the three thematic areas of recognition, justice, and development.

The program lists concrete, practical actions to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance faced by people of African descent which should be taken by states at the national level and by the international community and by international and regional organizations. The High Commissioner of Human Rights was designated by the General Assembly as coordinator of the Decade. The High Commissioner is Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, of Jordan. He is tasked with following up on the implementation of activities for the International Decade.

What is the United Nations doing? The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), and other UN departments, agencies, funds and programs, are leading a broad range of activities in support of the Decade in the following respective areas:

• Capacity building
• Awareness-raising
• Information sharing
• Empowerment
• Strengthening cooperation
• Research

At the regional and International levels, the international community and international and regional organizations are called, among other things, to raise awareness, disseminate the Durban Declaration and Program of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, assist states in the full and effective implementation of their commitments under the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, collect statistical data, incorporate human rights into development program and honor and preserve historical memory of people of African descent.

There are also a number of steps and measures which have been or will be taken by the United Nations General Assembly, including the appointment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to act as coordinator of the Decade (Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, of Jordan), the establishment of a forum to serve as a consultation mechanism, convening of a final assessment of the Decade, and ensuring the completion of the construction and the inauguration, before the mid-term review in 2020, of a permanent memorial at UN Headquarters to honor the memory of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. The Memorial, called The Ark of Return, which is located at the UN, was dedicated in March, 2015.

“This Decade is a historic opportunity,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. “It is my hope it will inspire all of us to grasp the deep harm that is done by discrimination and work tirelessly to put an end to this injustice.”