¡°Wherever we see racism, we must condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification.¡± -- Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres
For instance, at their recent annual forum, a plenary on ¡°Inclusion and Diversity: Racial Equity in Mine Action¡± was held, with speakers representing Germany, Sudan, MONUSCO, and the Mines Advisory Group in Sri Lanka.
¡°Institutional racism exists also within the United Nations workplace, [...] we have to work on the policies, and it¡¯s a long way to go,¡± said Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ().
This event was chaired by Bruno Donat, Chief of the / Geneva office and Global Coordinator of the Mine Action Area of Responsibility within the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR-led Global Protection Cluster.
Mr. Donat has additionally joined the -DPO Anti-Racism Action Group (ARAG) and is particularly interested in focusing on fairness in recruitment, promotion, retention, and opportunities.
In a separate meeting, Mr. Donat remarked that we should think more through the lens of intersectionality and take concrete actions.
¡°Don¡¯t be ashamed of your privileges if you have any. Instead, you should use the power that you may have to empower others,¡± he added.
The pathway to reach racial equity is still long and will require a review of the modus operandi of the Organisation, with particular attention to changing policy and ensuring accountability.
As the Secretary-General has said, ¡°We must examine our efforts and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to combat racism and racial discrimination inside our Organization.¡±
