UNITED
NATIONS
A
 General Assembly Distr.
Distr. \* MERGEFORMAT LIMITED
A/HRC/7/L.14

19 March 2008
Original:  Orig. Lang. \* MERGEFORMAT ENGLISH

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session 
Agenda item 9


RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED FORMS OF INTOLERANCE, FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DURBAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION

Cuba, Egypt (on behalf of the African Group):  draft resolution

7/…  From Rhetoric to Reality: a global call for concrete action against  racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming all the previous resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, Human Rights Council and Commission on Human Rights on the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, 

Absolutely convinced that lack of political will remains the core factor prompting the failure by States to translate the commitments of the DDPA into concrete action and tangible results, in particular with respect to honouring the memory of the victims of historical injustices and past tragedies caused by slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave-trade, apartheid, colonialism and genocide, and also underlining that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples were victims of these injustices and tragedies and continue to be victims of their consequences,

Noting some positive developments in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, 

1. Regrets the persisting lack of political will to take decisive steps to combat racism in all its forms and manifestations and to concretely move away from denials about the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, ( based on  PP5 of HRC 6/22 )

2. Welcomes the landmark and historic formal apology by the Australian Government  for the past laws and policies which have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on its aboriginal peoples; 

3. In this vein, urges governments, which have not done so, to issue formal apologies to the victims of past and historic injustices, and to take all necessary measures to achieve healing and reconciliation;  

4. Endorses  the report of the eighth session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent ( A/HRC/7/36 ); 

5. Welcomes the convening of the first part of the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in January 2008, and Requests it to continue to provide guidance the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; 

6. Welcomes also the convening of the first part of the first session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards in February 2008, and requests the Ad Hoc Committee, at the second part of its first session, to heed, as             a matter of priority, the instruction and decision of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to prepare complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects; 

7. Welcomes further the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to the seventh session of the Human Rights Council ( A/HRC/7/19 );

8. Decides to invite to the Five Independent Eminent Experts to address the tenth session of the Human Rights Council;

							-----


				









A/HRC/7/L.14
page  \* MERGEFORMAT 2


	A/HRC/7/L.14
	page  \* MERGEFORMAT 3



Word.Picture.8