United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination CERD/C/GC/34 Distr.: General 3 October 2011 Original: English Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Seventy-ninth session 8 August–2 September 2011 General recommendation No. 34 adopted by the Committee Racial discrimination against people of African descent The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Recalls the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to which all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to the rights and freedoms enshrined therein without distinction of any kind, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Recalls also that people of African descent received greater recognition and visibility at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban in 2001, South Africa, its preparatory conferences, particularly the + 5 Conference of Santiago, Chile, in 2000, reflected in the respective declarations and plans of action, Reaffirms its general recommendations Nos. 28 (2002) on the follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and 33 (2009) on follow-up to the Durban Review Conference, in which the Committee expressed its commitment to press for the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Notes also the condemnation of discrimination against people of African descent as expressed in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Observes that it has become evident from the examination of the reports of States parties to the Convention that people of African descent continue to experience racism and racial discrimination, Having held a day-long thematic discussion on racial discrimination against people of African descent in the seventy-eighth session (February–March 2011) on the occasion of the International Year for People of African Descent, in which the Committee heard and exchanged ideas with States parties, United Nations organs and specialized agencies, special rapporteurs and their representatives, as well as non-governmental organizations, and decided to clarify some aspects of discrimination against such people and further support the struggle to overcome this discrimination worldwide, GE.11- 46043

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