MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March in commemoration of 69 people killed by police at the peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid laws in 1960. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the Day in 1966.
The UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination entered into force in 1969. Besides, as part of its actions against racism, the United Nations carried out the World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.
"Far from being eradicated, hate speech and other manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, are on the rise. This affects equality, freedom, solidarity and justice all over the world. The EU is continuing in its commitment to fight all forms of racial discrimination, inside and outside our borders," the statement read.
"We also continue to be a steadfast supporter of the UN Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We work continuously for the global implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance," Mogherini added.
According to the high representative, the United Nations, through its commitments to the Decade for Peoples of African Descent, also assures attention is being paid to the discrimination suffered by communities of African origins globally.
"The elimination of racial discrimination is a global challenge and has to be tackled together by the whole international community, by international organizations and by the civil society," Mogherini stressed.
Apart from this, the General Assembly, through its resolution 68/237 of December 2013, proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent commencing 1 January 2015 and ending on 31 December 2024, with the theme "People of African descent: recognition, justice and development."
