International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)
This Decade, for which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was designated as the lead agency, aims to strengthen actions and measures to ensure the full realization of the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in society.
Under the theme "Recognition, Justice and Development”, the Decade provides an operational framework to encourage States to eradicate social injustices inherited from history and to fight against racism, prejudice and racial discrimination to which people of African descent are still subjected.
UNESCO's role
UNESCO, in particular through its projects the Routes of Enslaved Peoples and the General History of Africa, has been closely associated to the consultations organized by the Office of the High-Commissioner for Human Rights, lead agency for the Decade.
The Organization actively fights against prejudice and discrimination and for the defense of human rights and the protection of cultural heritage.
UNESCO is particularly engaged in the following areas:
- To promote a better understanding and recognition of the culture, history and heritage of people of African descent through research, education, media, along with inclusion in curricula, ensuring that school books and other pedagogic material accurately reflect the historical facts about the slave trade, slavery and colonialism to prevent falsification and stereotypes derived from this history.
- To recognize the memory of the victims of these tragedies and their descendants through the establishment of sites of memory testifying to this past.
- To encourage the international community to honor this memory in different forms.
- To fight against discrimination against people of African Descent by providing them with access to education and in particular to quality education that helps to prevent their stigmatization.