Advancing racial justice and the global rights of people of African descent in the next decade.

Bill: 118-hres-1589
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
Introduced: 2024-11-20
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-11-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1589 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 20, 2024 Mr. Johnson of Georgia (for himself, Ms. Kamlager-Dove , Mr. Davis of Illinois , Mr. Grijalva , Ms. Lee of California , Mr. McGovern , Ms. Omar , Ms. Tlaib , Ms. Williams of Georgia , and Ms. Wilson of Florida ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Advancing racial justice and the global rights of people of African descent in the next decade.

Whereas the United Nations decade the International Decade for People of African Descent is ending on December 31, 2024; Whereas, following General Assembly Resolution 75/314, the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (UNFPAD) held its first session in Geneva in December 2022, its second session in New York in May and June 2023, and its third session in Geneva in April 2024; Whereas, in the UNFPAD forums, the critical issues concerning people of African descent were raised: global reparatory justice; Pan-Africanism for dignity, justice, and peace; sustainable development agenda; evidence-based approach to addressing systemic and structural racism; transnational migration; health, well-being, and intergenerational trauma; and offers recommendations for how member states can advance these matters; Whereas recognizing the valuable contributions of high-level officials of African descent in their respective countries and the presence and reaffirmation of the goals and objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent, which materializes these lofty goals; Whereas, during the United Nations international decade for people of African descent, governments and civil society across the globe just scratched the surface of working collectively at the global level to raise visibility and act on these issues of priority concern raised in the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Whereas governments in concert with civil society must strengthen national, regional, and international action and cooperation to facilitate the full and equal participation of people of African descent in society, promote a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture, and contributions of people of African descent to the development of societies, and to strengthen and implement legal frameworks that combat racial discrimination; Whereas further action is required for governments to implement in conjunction with civil society effective national action plans and other strategies to address racial disparities impacting people of African descent in the justice, wealth, education, employment, health, housing, development, and other sectors; Whereas further action is required for governments to integrate into their public policies differentiated efforts that elevate, address, and advance the rights of Afro-descendant women, children, LGBQTIA+ persons, the elderly, and disabled persons; Whereas the United States Government is a party to the United States-Colombia Racial Action Plan and the Brazil-United States Joint Action Plan (CAPREE) to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (JAPER), is advancing similar agreements with Uruguay and Mexico and is the first international accompanier to the Ethnic Chapter of the 2016 Colombia peace accord; and Whereas the people of Haiti continue to face significant challenges, including political instability, economic hardship, and the effects of natural disasters, which exacerbate the systemic inequalities experienced by people of African descent: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the second United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent to 2025–2034; (2) urges the Department of State to proactively support and advance the United Nations Declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent; (3) supports the United Nations International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of law enforcement (EMLER) and funding to combat racial discrimination worldwide; (4) supports the expansion of current efforts by the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization of American States, and other international organizations to address the human rights situation of people of African descent means of upholding their human dignity and equality and promoting societal reconciliation and healing; (5) calls upon the United States in cooperation with civil society (African-descent communities, academics, activists, businesses, and philanthropic organizations) to develop and implement domestic and global strategies to execute the goals and ideals of the second International Decade for People of African Descent and to combat racism, including by expanding the transformative work of the Department of State’s Race, Ethnicity, and Social Inclusion Unit in this regard; and (6) reaffirms the commitment of Congress to combat racism, discrimination, and intolerance with a differentiated gender focus in the United States and around the globe.