Yesterday, Guyana joined the world in observance of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
This year’s chosen theme: ‘‘Humanity, non-racism’’, is significant since, in many parts of the world, discriminatory practices are still widespread, including racial, ethnic, religious and nationality-based profiling and incitement to hatred.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in his message this year, said racism is an evil infecting countries and societies around the world – a deeply entrenched legacy of colonialism and enslavement.
He called on all to commit to work together to build a world of dignity, justice, and equal opportunity for every community everywhere.
Here, in Guyana, the Ethnic Relations Commission, in giving statistics of complaints for 2023, said there were 80 complaints founded in racial or religious issues, and its investigative unit made significant strides in achieving varying degrees of resolution of those complaints.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21. On that day in 1960 in Sharpeville, South Africa, Police opened fire and killed 69 people who were participating in a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid “pass laws”. Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination (Resolution 2142 (XXI)).
In 1979, the General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (A/RES/34/24). On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on March 21, would be organised annually in all States.
The apartheid system in South Africa has since been dismantled and racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries; and, guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the UN has built an international framework for fighting racism.
The Convention is now nearing universal ratification; yet, in all regions, too many individuals, communities and societies suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings. Racial and ethnic discrimination occur on a daily basis, hindering progress for millions of people around the world. Racism and intolerance can take various forms — from denying individuals the basic principles of equality to fuelling ethnic hatred that may lead to genocide — all of which can destroy lives and fracture communities.
Guyana’s ERC, in its message for this UN day, said that with its far-reaching, comprehensive mandate that encompasses all ethnic groups in Guyana, it fully endorses and reinforces support for the day.
To quote the ERC’s message: “The ERC’s primary objective is to canvas the support from citizens and stakeholders of all ethnicities throughout the country’s ten administrative Regions to build peace, tolerance, respect, inclusivity, understanding, and ethnic unity. By extension, the Commission’s mandate coincides with the pertinent and well-intentioned desire of the UN to promote racial and ethnic harmony everywhere. The ERC firmly believes that the elimination of prejudices is paramount for the preservation of peace and brotherhood. The ERC, which is vested with its 24 functions to promote national harmony, seeks the cooperation of everyone to achieve that monumental goal.”
This comes at a time when the international community has intensified its struggle against racism, and continues to place obligations on states and tasks them with eradicating discrimination in the public and private spheres. The principle of equality also requires states to adopt special measures to eliminate conditions that cause or help to perpetuate racial discrimination.
We look to all our leaders to defend our rights, and safeguard us against instability and social conflict; not to foster societal fractures.
