RES/27/25 Mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

GE.14-17738 (E)



Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session

Agenda item 9

Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related

forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of

the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

27/25

Mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African

Descent

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, in which the

Assembly endorsed the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,

Recalling also all previous resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, the

Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the elimination of racism,

racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular Commission

resolutions 2002/68 of 25 April 2002 and 2003/30 of 23 April 2003, and Council

resolutions 9/14 of 18 September 2008 and 18/28 of 17 October 2011 on the mandate of the

Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent,

Bearing in mind paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 16 March

2006,

Reaffirming the obligations of States under relevant international human rights

instruments, in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Racial Discrimination adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 (XX) of 21

December 1965,

Underlining that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the

World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related

Intolerance remains the only instructive outcome of the World Conference against Racism,

Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which prescribes

comprehensive measures and remedies for the effective combating of all scourges of racism

at all levels,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the

Council, and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the

Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his/her

duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,

United Nations A/HRC/RES/27/25

General Assembly Distr.: General 2 October 2014

Original: English

Stressing the imperative need for the Working Group of Experts on People of

African Descent to accomplish its mandate,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of

African Descent for a further period of three years, in accordance with the terms of

reference contained in Human Rights Council resolution 9/14;

2. Also decides that the Working Group shall undertake a minimum of two

country visits per year;

3. Requests all Governments to cooperate fully with the Working Group in the

discharge of its mandate, including by responding promptly to the Working Group’s

communications and by providing the information requested;

4. Requests the Working Group to submit an annual report to the Human Rights

Council on all activities relating to its mandate, as well as to the General Assembly in the

context of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

5. Requests States, non-governmental organizations, relevant human rights

treaty bodies, special procedures and other mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, and

national human rights institutions, international financial and development institutions,

specialized agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations to collaborate with the

Working Group, including by, inter alia, providing it with the necessary information and,

where possible, reports in order to enable the Working Group to carry out its mandate,

including with regard to field missions;

6. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights to provide the Working Group with all the human, technical and

financial assistance necessary for the sustainable and effective fulfilment of its mandate;

7. Recalls the establishment of a voluntary fund to provide additional resources

for, inter alia, the participation of people of African descent, representatives of developing

countries, especially the least developed countries, non-governmental organizations and

experts in the open-ended sessions of the Working Group, and invites States to contribute to

that fund;

8. Decides to remain seized of this important issue.

40th meeting

26 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]