Race Issues in the Un General Assembly

Race Issues in the UN General Assembly in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Race Issues in the UN General Assembly: The United States supported the UN General Assembly resolution proclaiming an international decade for people of African descent, adopted without a vote on December 23, 2013. U.N. Doc. A/RES/68/237. The U.S. explanation of position on the resolution is excerpted below.

Some Aspects of Race Issues in the UN General Assembly

The United States remains fully and firmly committed to upholding the human rights of all people and to combating racism and racial discrimination. We are pleased to join consensus on this resolution and look forward to the work ahead in helping to elaborate what we hope will be a successful program of action for the International Decade for People of African Descent. Our own history demonstrates that when we reduce discrimination faced by minority women, men, and children, including those of African descent—whether in the fields of education, access to credit, entrepreneurship, or employment opportunities—we all benefit from their talents and contributions. The United States has long recognized the importance of commemorating and celebrating these contributions, including through an annual African American History Month. We support a global effort to promote knowledge of, and respect for, the cultural heritage and contributions to societies of people of African descent. We welcome the additional time allotted for work on the program of action. We also appreciate that the final version of that program of action will not be based solely on the draft prepared by the Working Group on Persons of African Descent. We have previously expressed concerns about the Working Group's draft, to the extent it calls for multiple new instruments and mechanisms of questionable value.

Resources

Notes

1. Race Issues in the UN General Assembly in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law