14 March 2011

Organisation of American States Special Meeting on Peoples of African Descent

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The Chair of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has convened a special meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 15, at 10:00 a.m., to celebrate, pursuant to General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 2550 (XL-O/10), the International Year of People of African Descent. The meeting will be held in the Simon Bolívar Room of the OAS Headquarters.


ORDER OF BUSINESS


SPECIAL MEETING TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL YEAR
OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT

[AG/RES. 2550 (XL-O/10) “Recognition of the International Year for People of African Descent”]


Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Simón Bolívar Room


1. Welcome and Overview by the Secretary General, Mr. José Miguel Insulza

2. Presentation by Ms. Maria Guillén, IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination

3. Presentation by Congressman Donald M. Payne, U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District

4. Presentation by Dr. Cary Hector, Professor at Quisqueya University in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

5. Presentation by Ms. Paula Moreno, Former Minister of Culture, Government of the Republic of Colombia

6. Joint Presentation by Ms. Epsy Campbell and Mr. Walter Robinson, Co-Chairs, National Committee on Discrimination, Costa Rica

7. Presentation by Sir Clare Roberts, Former IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Afro-Descendants and against Racial Discrimination

8. Presentation by Danilo González, Chair of the Working Group to Prepare a Draft Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance

9. Interventions by member states

10. Comments by OAS-registered civil society organizations


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FORTIETH REGULAR SESSION OEA/Ser.P
June 6 to 8, 2010 AG/RES. 2550 (XL-O/10)
Lima, Peru 8 June 2010
Original: Spanish


AG/RES. 2550 (XL-O/10)

RECOGNITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR FOR PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 8, 2010)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

That the Charter of the Organization of American States establishes as one of the principles of the Organization recognition of the fundamental rights of the individual without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex;

That the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man establishes that all men are born free and equal, in dignity and in rights, without distinction as to race, sex, language, creed or any other factor; and

That the Inter-American Democratic Charter proclaims that respect for ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in the Americas contributes to strengthening democracy and citizen participation;

AWARE of the historical bonds and shared experiences which tie together the American and African continents, the fundamental contributions of persons of African descent and their communities in the Americas, and the importance of recognizing and preserving that heritage;

BEARING IN MIND that in February 2005, in recognition of the racial discrimination that persists against persons of African descent in the Americas, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) established a Special Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and on Racial Discrimination, in order to promote the recognition and the rights of those persons;

RECALLING the relevant provisions on people of African descent contained in the declarations of the Summits of the Americas, as well as in the Declaration of the Regional Conference of the Americas (Preparatory meeting for the Third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance), held in Santiago, Chile, in 2000; and

RECALLING FURTHER the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001;

CONSIDERING that the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 64/169, “International Year for People of African Descent,” which proclaimed 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent, with a view to strengthening national actions and regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent in relation to their full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil, and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture; and

CONSIDERING that countries of Africa and the Americas, in the framework of bilateral and multilateral forums, have committed themselves to encourage regional and interregional initiatives to promote democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the eradication of poverty, hunger, inequality, and social exclusion through the exchange of experiences among their regional organizations and subregional organizations, including the African Union and the Organization of American States, in matters of strengthening democracy and integral development at regional and interregional levels; and

WE REAFFIRM our steadfast commitment to address the scourge of racism, discrimination, and intolerance in our societies as a problem affecting society in general. To that end, we will continue our efforts to conclude the negotiations for the Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of United Nations General Assembly resolution 64/169, “International Year for People of African Descent,” which proclaimed 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent.

2. To reaffirm the importance of the full and equal participation of people of African descent in all aspects of political, economic, social, and cultural life in the countries of the Americas.

3. To reiterate the instructions given to the Permanent Council through resolution AG/RES. 2489 (XXXIX-O/09) to convene a second special meeting on cooperation between the Americas and Africa, with the participation of the African diplomatic corps and representatives of the African Union Commission as well as OAS permanent representatives.

4. To instruct the Permanent Council to hold a special meeting to celebrate International Year for People of African Descent that includes on its agenda, before the forty-first regular session of the General Assembly, the topic of people of African descent in the Americas.

5. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its forty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

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