¡°Together,?we are committed to making sure people of every race, ethnicity, colour, gender, religion, creed and sexual orientation, enjoy a sense of belonging and safety, and have an equal opportunity to contribute to the success of our United Nations.¡± -?Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres

Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life across all societies, the Secretary-General said at a dedicated meeting against what he referred to as a catalyst that ¡°normalizes hate, denies dignity and spurs violence¡±.

¡°It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality¡­to deny people their fundamental human rights,¡±?added?Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres?in?an address to the General Assembly, marking the?International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

He argued that racism destabilizes communities worldwide, ¡°undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and stymies an inclusive and sustainable recovery from?COVID-19¡±.

Unequivocal links

Guterres drew attention to the links between racism and gender inequality, pointing to overlapping and intersecting discrimination suffered by women of colour and minority groups.?

¡°No country is immune from intolerance, nor free of hate,¡± he said.

¡°Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, minority communities, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and so many others ¨C all continue to confront stigmatization, scapegoating, discrimination, and violence.¡±

¡®Dismantle discriminatory structures¡¯

Mr. Guterres called for a rights-based social contract ¡°to tackle poverty and exclusion, invest in education, and rebuild trust and social cohesion.¡±

¡°We must listen to those experiencing injustice and ensure their concerns and demands are at the centre of efforts to dismantle discriminatory structures,¡± he insisted.

He made a case for ¡°reparatory justice¡± to realize racial equality and atone in a substantive way for centuries of enslavement and colonialism.

¡°Historical injustices manifest themselves in poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, and social instability for entire communities and countries,¡± he said. ¡°It is time to recognize and repair longstanding wrongs.¡±

Repairing the past

The Secretary-General encouraged States to accelerate racial justice and equality through the:

  • and Programme of Action

United against racism at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has launched its own internal strategic action plan on addressing racism that outlines concrete measures to tackle racism in the workplace through accountability ¨C for which a Special Adviser and Steering Group are due to be appointed.?

¡°Together,?we are committed to making sure people of every race, ethnicity, colour, gender, religion, creed and sexual orientation, enjoy a sense of belonging and safety, and have an equal opportunity to contribute to the success of our United Nations.¡±?

¡°Let us unite around our common humanity and speak as one for equality, respect, justice and dignity for all,¡± he concluded.