The UK commission published its report in late March, surveying the situation with racial and ethnic disparities in the country and making various recommendations on how to better handle it.
"The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent categorically rejects and condemns the analysis and findings of the recently published report by the UK’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which, among other conclusions, claim that 'geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism", the working group of the UN human rights office said in a statement.
The group also accused the commission of sanitising the history of the African slave trade and took issue with the report's handling of data.
"The Report cites dubious evidence to make claims that rationalize white supremacy by using the familiar arguments that have always justified racial hierarchy. This attempt to normalize white supremacy despite considerable research and evidence of institutional racism is an unfortunate sidestepping of the opportunity to acknowledge the atrocities of the past and the contributions of all in order to move forward", the group added.
The group went on to call on the UK government to reject the report's findings, as well as provide an accurate reflection of historical facts.
