United Nations

A/HRC/RES/30/16
Distr.: General 12 October 2015 Original: English

General Assembly

Human Rights Council
Thirtieth session Agenda item 9

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 2 October 2015
30/16. From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

The Human Rights Council, Recalling all its previous resolutions on the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Recalling also the General Assembly resolutions in this regard, and emphasizing the imperative need for their full and effective implementation, Concerned that many years have lapsed since the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and regretting in this regard that its objectives have not been met, Concerned also, in the above context, at the increasing incidents of racially motivated hatred in all its forms and manifestations, some of which have taken violent forms with concomitant racial profiling, Underlining the importance of removing legal obstacles and eliminating discriminatory practices that hamper individuals and groups of individuals from participating fully in the public and political life of the countries in which they live, including the lack of the exercise of their full citizenship rights, 1. Welcomes the adoption of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent;1 2. Invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in his capacity as coordinator of the Decade, to submit an update on his activities in the follow-up to the implementation of the programme of activities within the framework of the Decade to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-first session;

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See General Assembly resolution 69/16.

GE.15-17558(E)

*1517558*

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3. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so, and consistent with paragraph 75 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to consider withdrawing their reservations on article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and articles 18, 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as these reservations are contrary to the objects and purposes of these core instruments; 4. Calls upon all States to end posturing and denialism about the existence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; 5. Underscores the importance of political will and commitment to eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; 6. Underlines in the above context the primacy of maintaining a racial equality index under the custodianship of the High Commissioner; 7. Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to commence preparations for the commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and to present a report thereon to the Council at its thirty-first session; 8. Requests the General Assembly, in view of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to dedicate a theme on its full and effective implementation, including the universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the withdrawal of reservations to article 4 of the Convention, the submission of declarations to article 14 of the Convention and the development of national action plans exclusively dedicated to the total eradication of all scourges of racism at the high-level segment of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly; 9. Invites Member States, the United Nations system and all relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, to intensify their efforts for building support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in the follow-up to the commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of its adoption; 10. Decides to remain seized of this important issue. 42nd meeting 2 October 2015 [Adopted by a recorded vote of 32 to 12, with 3 abstentions. The voting was as follows: In favour: Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of ), Botswana, Brazil, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam

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Against: Albania, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Montenegro, Namibia, * Netherlands, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America Abstaining: Japan, Portugal, Republic of Korea]

*

The delegation of Namibia subsequently stated that there had been an error in its voting and that it had intended to vote in favour of the draft text.

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