A vast, afflicted landscape.

• Author: Sherifis, Michael E.
• Position: Notes from the Chair - Racism across the globe - Brief Article

Despite the two world conferences held so far to combat racism, we witness racism and discrimination continuing their ravages the world over, sometimes reaching levels prejudicial to the maintenance of international peace and security. While we had the opportunity to welcome the end of apartheid during this period, we saw at the same time rising intolerance, xenophobia, racism, racial discrimination and ethnic conflict, which are still causes of grave concern inasmuch as they threaten social cohesion, endanger public order within States, affect friendly and peaceful relations among peoples, and, above all, constitute flagrant denial of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. The inherent equality of human beings is too often denied and questioned, whereas new and subtler forms of racial discrimination have made their appearance. The human landscape currently afflicted by racism and xenophobia is indeed vast.

The Third World Conference against Racism provides the opportunity for the adoption of new and appropriate results-oriented measures, which will effectively combat the causes of racism and help eliminate its various manifestations. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), over which I have the honour to preside, has developed a series of proposals under each of the five themes of the Conference.

* We consider that racial discrimination ought to be a matter of concern before it develops into civil unrest or armed conflict. Furthermore, the gap between rich and poor, which, forces people to move in search of better living conditions, in turn leads States to draw up restrictive immigration policies, tighten controls and broaden exclusionary strategies. In our view, people in need should be primarily assisted mostly in their country of origin if this gap is to be tackled at its root.

* We consider it useful for States and the United Nations to establish adequate mechanisms that would allow victims of racial discrimination to articulate their experiences in order to learn from each other and have access to appropriate remedies. In this respect, a dialogue with representatives of civil society would facilitate a better understanding of the causes of racism and the strategies to be followed.

The criteria for early warning measures, designed to prevent existing problems from escalating into conflicts, should be defined. CERD will, of course, be ready to help in this regard.

It is essential to involve the private...