UN resolution urges relevant countries to remedy historical racial injustice

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday, the last day of its 51st session, adopted a resolution calling upon all the relevant countries to find ways to remedy historical racial injustice so as to help restore the dignity of the affected countries and their people.

The resolution, titled "From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance," also requests UN human rights bodies to provide a written report at the next Human Rights Council session on the progress in this regard.

The just-adopted resolution mentioned that some countries have taken the initiative to apologize and paid reparations for grave and massive violations committed as a result of slavery, the slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide and past tragedies.

It urged those who have not yet expressed remorse or apologized should find ways to help restore the dignity of victims.

The resolution also acknowledged the importance of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as a milestone in the common fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, saying that the declaration addresses the deep historical roots of contemporary racism and that slavery and the slave trade are crimes against humanity.

Deploring the recurrent incidents of excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers, the resolution emphasized that countries should guarantee reparations to victims and ensure independent, prompt and effective investigations.

It also underlined the imperative need for effective implementation of previous UN resolutions on racism, racial discrimination, and other related forms of intolerance, and the importance of political will and commitment to combat all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

"The Human Rights Council continues to be alarmed at the resurgent violent manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance precipitated by scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous ideologies, such as white supremacy, as well as by extremist nationalist and populist ideologies," said the resolution.

At the request of the United States, the Human Rights Council on Friday voted on the draft resolution and adopted it with 32 votes in favor (mainly from developing countries), 9 votes against (the United States, Britain and some other Western countries), and 6 abstentions.