Racial discrimination

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved seven draft resolutions as it concluded its work today, including texts addressing the elimination of racism, the treaty body system and the world drug problem.

The United Nations’ anti-racism commitment must extend to the Palestinian people, an independent expert told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) today, underscoring the need to combat deep-rooted racism against them within international policies, media narratives and institutional frameworks.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial in Poland, for Holocaust Memorial Day for Roma and Sinti, observed today:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Mission (MONUSCO) continues their vital work protecting civilians in the country’s east. Earlier this week, MONUSCO deployed in Tche and Logo-Takpa, in Ituri Province, in support of the Congolese Armed Forces following a string of attacks by CODECO combatants.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed 21 March:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations Memorial Ceremony Marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, in New York today:

With a unified sense of purpose, delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today rallied around the Secretary-General’s proposal for measures against racism and racial discrimination in the United Nations Secretariat, calling for resource and personnel funding for establishing an anti-racism office and supporting the Special Adviser on Addressing Racism in the Workplace, as well as an immediate end to inequitable geographical representation of staff positions, particularly Professional and higher categories, in the Organization.

Today, Secretary-General António Guterres met with the Chairpersons and mandate holders of the eight United Nations anti-racism mechanisms*and discussed the current state of the world with regards to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed 21 March:

A joint operation between the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and the country’s internal security forces has led to the arrest of Hussein Damboucha, regional commander of the armed group Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique and member of the Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement.