The United Nations (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is annually observed across the globe on 21 March to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people of African descent and all those affected by racism and racial discrimination and exclusion.
- The Day aims to reaffirm the commitment to equality and eliminate all forms of racism, fostering a global culture of tolerance, equality, and anti-discrimination.
Theme:
The 2025 theme of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is, “60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Racial of Discrimination (ICERD)”.
- 2025 commemorates the 60th anniversary of ICERD, the first of the 9 UN core international human rights treaties, laying the foundation for global efforts to combat racism and discrimination.
Background:
i.On 26 October 1966, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/2142 (XXI) titled “Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination” proclaiming 21 March of every year as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
- The proclamation also signifies the struggle to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa.
ii.The first-ever International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed on 21 March 1967.
Why 21 March?
The day of 21 March commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre (1960) in South Africa, where the South African Police (SAP) in the township of Sharpeville opened fire on a peaceful protest against apartheid “pass laws,” killing 69 people.
- Sharpeville is located in the then Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa (now part of Gauteng, South Africa)
UN Initiatives:
i.In 1979, the UNGA adopted a program of activities as part of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
ii.The UNGA also declared that a Week of Solidarity Against Racism would be observed annually, beginning March 21.
UN Campaigns for 2025 Observance:
i.For the 2025 observance, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), also known as UN Human Rights, launched the campaign “ICERD60: Towards a world without racism” to strengthen the implementation of ICERD.
- UN Human Rights is the leading UN entity in the field of human rights, with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people.
ii.In 2023 UN Human Rights also launched a two-year campaign, “Learn, Speak Up, Act”, to raise awareness and gain support for global action on racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and other intolerances.
iii.These campaigns educate people about the main frameworks and key tools, including ICERD, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024, etc.
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA):
i.DDPA is one of the UN’s blueprints to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance globally.
ii.It was adopted in 2001 at the World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa.
iii.In 2021, the UNGA marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the DDPA under the theme of “Reparations, Racial Justice and Equality for People of African Descent.” in a meeting held in New York, the United States of America (USA).
About the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
High Commissioner– Volker Türk
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Established– 1993
