November 5th 2023.
On October 30th, the United Nations body released a report that called for global progression on the matter of reparations for people of African descent. The next day, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, Epsy Campbell Barr, held a press conference to explain the details of the report. According to Barr, racialized violence has increased significantly over the years, in addition to the systemic discrimination that has been plaguing the international Black community for centuries.
“The legacies of colonialism and slavery and apartheid are still alive today and have a real impact in the life of millions of people of African descent around the world,” Barr said. “This makes them more exposed to violence and death as a result of encounters with law enforcement officials, as well as the burden of interregional and transgenerational trauma, which has a profound impact on their mental and physical health.”
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was established in August 2021 as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent. This advisory body provides recommendations to the Human Rights Council to improve the safety and quality of life and livelihoods for all whose racial backgrounds stem from Africa.
Barr also noted that people with disabilities, migrants, and those part of the LGTBTIQ+ community are also in need of reparations and protections. To that end, the forum has requested for the inclusion of reparations in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and an extension to the International Decade of People of African Descent.
The movement for reparations has been gaining traction in the United States, with cities such as New York City in support. This has increased the pressure on governments to legalize reparations. Hopefully, this will lead to the realization of these long-term goals and the ideal of reparations for those marginalized by systemic discrimination.
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