UN head urges an end to the "scourge of racism"
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United Nations: The world community has been urged by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take action against the scourge of racism.
Speaking at a UN meeting for persons of African heritage, Guterres asserted that the African diaspora had greatly improved civilizations everywhere in the world and contributed to every area of human endeavour.
"And yet, we are also painfully aware that people of African descent continue to confront entrenched racism and systemic discrimination," he said in a video message to the second session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
The long shadow of centuries of enslavement and colonial exploitation still blights the present. It is past time to recognise and repair longstanding wrongs, said Guterres, IANS reported.
"We must act with greater urgency to rid our societies of the scourge of racism, and ensure the full political, economic and social inclusion of people of African descent as equal citizens, without discrimination," he said.
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was established in 2021 by the UN General Assembly as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent.
The second session of the forum, held at the UN headquarters in New York, runs from May 30 to June 2.
The establishment of the forum crystalized the commitment of the international community to accelerate along the path towards full equality and justice for people of African descent everywhere, Guterres said.