Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
The International Conference on the Decade of People of African Descent
9 December 2024 – Cuba
(Pre-Recorded)
Your Excellency, Ms. Inés María Chapman Waugh, Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the Government of Cuba for organizing this important conference on the International Decade for People of African Descent, as it draws to a close this year.
The General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent in 2015 under the theme of “recognition, justice and development”.
Recognition – to acknowledge that people of African descent are a distinct group with human rights that must be protected and promoted.
Justice – to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in all their forms.
And development – to guarantee active, free and meaningful participation by all individuals, including people of African descent, in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Cuba has worked tirelessly to advance these principles, including through its National Programme against Racism and Racial Discrimination, thereby upholding our shared commitment to equality, inclusion and respect for human dignity for everyone, everywhere.
Over the last 10 years, the International Decade has offered a unique platform to highlight the diverse contributions of people of African descent to every field of human endeavour.
Several Member States have amended their laws and policies to tackle racial discrimination, while others created institutions to promote human rights of people of African descent.
The International Decade not only mobilized global support for racial justice and equality.
It led to the establishment of the 蘑菇视频 Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in 2021.
It sparked the launch of negotiations to elaborate a United Nations declaration on the respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights of people of African descent.
And it paved the way for the General Assembly’s proclamation of 25 July as the International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent.Our efforts must not stop here.
People of African descent continue to face systemic racism and discrimination – realities rooted in intolerable legacies of enslavement and colonialism.
They experience higher levels of unemployment, earn lower wages and occupy less skilled positions, compared to the rest of the population.
And they are more often affected by poverty and the impacts of climate change.
We must do more to dismantle these historic injustices and their contemporary manifestations.
For these reasons, I strongly support ongoing discussions to proclaim a second International Decade, continuing our efforts to advance the programme of action and to bring about lasting positive change.
As President of the General Assembly, I am deeply committed to promoting the rights of people of African descent.
Together, let us continue to pursue recognition, justice and development for people of African descent in 2024 – and beyond.
I thank you.
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