What is IDPAD?
“In proclaiming this Decade, the international community is recognizing that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. Around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside of the African continent.”
- United Nations Official IDPAD Website
OBJECTIVES OF THE DECADE
The objectives of the Decade as defined by the General Assembly Resolution are to:
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Promote respect, protection, and fulfillment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African Descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
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Promote a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture, and contribution of people of African descent to the development of societies;
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Adopt and strengthen national, regional and international legal frameworks according to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to ensure their full and effective implementation.
Learn more about the official objectives of the Decade.
NEXT STEPS
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly decided in resolution A/RES/73/262 to establish a permanent forum on people of African Descent. Currently, activists and organizers are advocating for the formation of a Permanent Forum and for a Declaration on the Rights of People of African Descent that includes the voices of PAD leaders. The creation of these two important United Nations tools would create a specific space for PAD leaders to discuss issues and solutions regionally and globally, and create a specific document focused on the unique issues facing PAD around the world that can be used to fight for PAD rights internationally.
In May 2019, a consultation on the format, substantive, and procedural aspects of the new United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent took place at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting provided an opportunity for civil society organizations and other interested stakeholders from around the world to present their views on the new Forum.
Prior to the consultation, an International Coalition of PAD leaders and organizations developed a Consensus Proposal on the Permanent Forum which was presented to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The proposal was signed by 118 organizations from across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and North America. The US Human Rights Network was among the lead organizations that contributed to the development of the proposal and supported its submission.