United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

The United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent is a group created by the UN to help include people of African descent in political, economic, and social life.

It was officially set up on August 2, 2021, by the UN General Assembly, after a request from Epsy Campbell Barr, former Vice President of Costa Rica. The Forum is meant to give people of African descent a voice in global discussions, help improve their safety, living conditions, and rights, advise the UN Human Rights Council, and support the goals of the International Decade for People of African Descent.

The idea for this forum came from an earlier UN resolution in 2014. The forum has 10 members: five chosen by UN member countries and five appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.

 Background 
In November 2014, the United Nations decided to create a forum to make sure that Afro-descendant people, governments, UN agencies, and other groups could all take part in discussions and decisions. This was part of the UN’s plan called the Program of Activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent, based on resolution A/RES/69/16.

Later, in December 2018, the UN General Assembly passed another resolution (A/RES/73/262) to officially create a Permanent Forum for Afro-descendants. The goal of this forum is to give Afro-descendant people and organizations a way to share their views, improve their lives and rights and help create a UN declaration that protects and promotes their human rights.

Between 2015 and 2018, the UN held discussions to decide how the forum should work. In May 2019, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), along with Costa Rica, held a big meeting in Geneva. Over 200 people came, including government officials, UN staff, community groups, and Afro-descendant representatives from around the world.

 Mandate 
The United Nations created rules for how the Forum should work in Resolution 75/314. The Forum’s main job is to help Afro-descendant people be fully included in political, economic, and social life. The Forum’s duties include giving advice to the Human Rights Council and other UN groups, looking into the idea of creating a UN declaration to protect the rights of Afro-descendant people, studying successful programs and problems that affect Afro-descendants.

It also checks how well the International Decade for People of African Descent is being followed, promotes respect for the culture and history of Afro-descendant people, helps coordinate related work at the UN and supports programs that improve the social and economic conditions of Afro-descendant communities.

 Structure 
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent is led by two members who serve as president and vice-president during each session. These roles change between different world regions and are chosen with input from Afro-descendant regional groups. The president and vice-president lead the meetings, help plan joint events, represent the Forum at official events, and present reports to the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

There is also a rapporteur (a person who writes reports) who can stay in the role for more than one session without needing to rotate. The rapporteur helps write the Forum’s yearly report, works with the president, vice-president, and other members, and helps prepare speeches and project ideas.
+MembersPositionNameCountryMemberAna Matarrita McCallaCosta RicaVice-presidentAlice Angèle NkomCameroonRapporteurMichael McEachraneSwedenMemberGaynel CurryBahamasMemberJustin HansfordUnited StatesMemberHongjiang HuangChinaMemberMartin KimaniKenyaMemberPastor Elías Murillo MartínezColombiaMemberMona OmarEgyptPresidentJune SoomerSaint Lucia

 Sessions 
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent holds public meetings every year to talk about important issues. These meetings focus on different themes that match the Forum’s goals. Each meeting lasts four working days and takes place either at the United Nations office in Geneva, at UN Headquarters in New York, or another place chosen by the Forum. These sessions are usually held after meetings by other UN groups working on African descent issues.

People who can join these meetings include countries, UN departments, international organizations, human rights groups, universities, experts, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) approved by the UN’s Economic and Social Council. Other community-based NGOs that support UN values are also welcome. The Forum aims to include people from different regions fairly, especially women, young people, and minorities, to promote shared learning and understanding between generations.

These meetings allow people to attend in person or online. During the sessions, participants talk in large group meetings about ideas, plans, reports, and recommendations. The Forum also supports extra side events hosted by civil society groups and others, focusing on the rights and well-being of Afro-descendants.

Depending on resources, there may also be special events in the evenings. The meetings usually open and close with ceremonies that may include cultural performances to celebrate the rich heritage of Afro-descendants.

At the end of each session, the Forum shares a summary of what was discussed, along with early recommendations. These are shared in a press release and sometimes in a press conference.

 References 

Other websites

Category:United Nations Secretariat