The President of the UN General Assembly, Philémon Yang said Friday that racism and discrimination remain deep-rooted problems, despite international efforts over the past 10 years. Speaking at a high-level meeting to mark the conclusion International Decade for People of African Descentwarned Yang, “much work remains to be done because the realities are rooted in the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism.”

American civil rights activist and law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw has also noted how gender, ethnicity, and class have “intersected” with race to exacerbate social inequalities, including maternal health disparities, state violence, access to education, political power and cultural recognition.

Looking ahead, Yang strongly supported the consideration of a second international decade to sustain progress. UN Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris echoed this suggestion, stressing the need to maintain the momentum through new laws, policies and greater recognition of the contributions of Afro-descendants to society.

The International Decade, established by the UN General Assembly resolution 68/237 in December 2013, aimed at strengthening national, regional and international cooperation to promote the rights of people of African descent and ensure their full participation in all aspects of society. Progress during this period included the establishment of a Permanent Forum for People of African Descent and saying 25 July, International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent.

However, a 2023 report The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has found evidence of alarming levels of police brutality and excessive use of force against people of African descent in the United States. The report documented racial disparities in arrests, prosecutions, convictions, and incarcerations, with African Americans disproportionately affected by systemic racism in all areas of life. A clear example of this excessive force was the 2020 death of George Floyd, who died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, an incident that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and ultimately led to rare convictions of the officers involved.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) proceeded similarly highlighted a model of impunity in police killings of African descent in the United States, noting that ineffective state responses perpetuate incidents of excessive use of force. The commission found that African Americans make up 38 percent of the incarcerated population, despite making up only 13 percent of the total U.S. population.

Further highlighting these challenges, a 2023 report ECLAC and OHCHR highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities for people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean, intensifying risks related to access to healthcare, poverty and job instability.