It began this Monday (14), in New York, in the United States, the 4th Edition Permanent Forum on people African descent of the United Nations. IIn 2022, the Forum acts as a consultative mechanism of the Human Rights Council and also seeks to improve the safety, quality of life and subsistence means of African descent.
The opening of the event, held at the UN Plenary, was attended by the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, representing the Brazilian government. In his speech, Anielle called nations to join the fight against racism, preached climate justice to African descent populations, and highlighted the global alliance against hunger and poverty, launched as Brazil’s proposal during the G20 summit in 2024.
“Promoting racial equality is also to foster wealth, autonomy and generation of opportunities for those who have historically pushed to the banks of the economy,” said the minister.
Anielle Franco recalled that, in two years, Brazil has reached the largest level of presence of black professionals in federal public administration, which is also a consequence of transversality as a permanent principle of state public policies.
“Racial equality crosses all fields of life: health, education, public safety, sports, housing, science and culture.”
The 4th Forum will have as its central theme “Africa and African descent: united by restorative justice in the age of artificial intelligence.” The theme refers to the need for reparation of the historical legacies of African enslavement and colonialism, assuming urgency in the digital age, and will focus on the contributions of the main actors to the formation and advance of the global agenda focused on restorative justice.
The event runs until April 17th.
Expected debates are issues about the human rights of women and girls African descent from an intersectional perspective, taking into account race and gender in the global agendas of restorative and digital justice.
Another predicted debate includes the elaboration of policies to deal with systemic racism and the construction of ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence systems, guaranteed to protect the rights of African descent.
