During a roundtable of the United Nations Human Rights Council commemorating the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that “racist clichés rooted in white supremacy” and harmful stereotypes “are becoming normalized,” including on social media.
“In recent years, there has been a resurgence of racist discourse and acts, sometimes emanating from the highest government circles. Some governments have taken measures to reverse anti-racist policies and initiatives,” said Nada Al-Nashif.
In this context of concerning setbacks in public commitments against racism, the consequences are palpably felt on the ground, especially in certain regions of the world.
In European countries, for example, people of African descent, Roma, and individuals of different ethnic backgrounds continue to be victims of “racist harassment and racial discrimination,” as well as those “targeted because of their religious beliefs.”
Overall, economic relations are shaped by power imbalances reflecting centuries of colonialism and exploitation, detailed Al-Nashif. It is therefore not surprising that these “inequalities affect global financial, commercial, and governance institutions.”
“They do not reflect market efficiency, but rather decisions and political frameworks that need to be reformed,” emphasized the Deputy High Commissioner.
These structural imbalances, she underscored, are not limited to the economic sphere and also fuel deep tensions on the international scale. Many conflicts worldwide are fueled by “long-standing discrimination, dehumanization, and increasing inequalities.”
According to Al-Nashif, these particularly severe forms of racial discrimination are at the heart of prolonged crises in Myanmar, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Sudan, among others.
Beyond these crisis hotspots, the dynamics described by the UN official are also observed in numerous societies globally. According to data from 2025 from 137 countries, the most common form of discrimination is based on national or ethnic identity, while discrimination based on skin color remains widespread. Based on data from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 30% of human rights defenders killed worldwide in 2024 were from indigenous or minority groups.
As these alarming findings suggest, leaders and states bear direct responsibility in “confronting the legacy of slavery and colonialism.” One proposed solution involves states implementing their commitments under the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
But for the UN, this requires education reform and the participation of racial and ethnic groups in decision-making processes. “It also requires accountability, access to justice, support for victims, and means to repair the harms caused, sometimes for generations,” insisted Al-Nashif.
Businesses also have an important role to play in preventing racial discrimination linked to their activities through policies, due diligence measures, and grievance mechanisms. “The media has a specific role to play in promoting and reflecting diversity and equitable representation, especially in their coverage of culture and sports,” said the Deputy High Commissioner.
Echoing the picture painted by Al-Nashif, the rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the implementation of the Durban Declaration highlighted that racial discrimination persists in education, employment, health, housing, law enforcement, criminal justice, and now in digital and algorithmic environments, which perpetuate long-standing prejudices.
For James Ndirangu Waweru, combating racism is indeed a collective and shared responsibility, requiring a “holistic approach at multiple levels” to combat this scourge.
