A/HRC/RES/54/26
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
16 October 2023
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-fourth session
11 September–13 October 2023
Agenda item 9
Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
forms of intolerance: follow-up to and implementation of
the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 12 October 2023
54/26.
Mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
The Human Rights Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, in which the
Assembly endorsed the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, reaffirming the
commitments contained therein with regard to people of African descent, Assembly
resolution 57/195 of 18 December 2002, in which the Assembly invited all relevant organs,
organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to become involved in the follow-up
to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance, all previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the comprehensive follow-up
to the World Conference and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and
Programme of Action, and Assembly resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, in which the
Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent,
Recalling also all previous resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, the
Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the elimination of racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular Commission
resolutions 2002/68 of 25 April 2002 and 2003/30 of 23 April 2003 and Council resolutions
9/14 of 18 September 2008, 18/28 of 17 October 2011, 27/25 of 26 September 2014, 36/23
of 29 September 2017 and 45/24 of 6 October 2020 on the mandate of the Working Group
of Experts on People of African Descent,
Reaffirming the obligations of States under relevant international human rights
instruments, in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 (XX) of 21
December 1965,
Underlining that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted at the
World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance, remains the only instructive outcome of the World Conference against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that prescribes comprehensive
measures and remedies for effectively combating the scourge of racism in all its forms at all
levels,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the
Council, and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the
GE.23-19845(E)