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PRESS RELEASE N° 23/09
IACHR RECOGNIZES ADOPTION OF DOCUMENT AT DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE
Washington, D.C., May 7, 2009 – The Rapporteurship on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights attended the Durban Review Conference, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, April 20-24, 2009. The Rapporteur, Sir Clare K. Roberts, made a presentation during the event “People of African Descent: assessing the progress made since Durban and the way forward,” which took place in the context of the Conference. In the presentation, the Rapporteur described the work of the IACHR since the creation of its thematic Rapporteurship in 2005, with a view to encouraging the countries of the Americas to recognize the existence of their population of African descent and the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The Commission recognizes the UN Member States for adopting the Outcome Document at the Durban Review Conference, which “reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)” of 2001, and “the commitment to prevent, combat and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.” In this regard, the IACHR wishes to urge all OAS Member States to apply their best efforts to duly implement the goals of the DDPA and the 2009 Outcome Document, in order to advance towards the elimination of xenophobia, racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance in the Americas. The IACHR stresses that the principle of non-discrimination is one of the pillars of any democratic system and that it is a fundamental basis of the system of protection of human rights instituted by the OAS.
A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this matter. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who act in a personal capacity, without representing a particular country, and who are elected by the OAS General Assembly.
Read this press release in Spanish / Lea este comunicado de prensa en español
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