A/HRC/30/56
I. Introduction
1.
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent held its fifteenth
session from 17 to 21 November 2014 and its sixteenth session from 30 March to 2 April
2015 at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The fifteenth session was attended by the
Chair of the Working Group, Mireille Fanon Mendès-France, Verene Shepherd and Sabelo
Gumedze (appointed on 27 June 2014), as the formal appointment of two new members
(Michal Balcerzak and Ricardo A. Sunga III) was still pending at the time. The sixteenth
session was attended by all members of the Working Group, including the two new
members. The present report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council
resolutions 9/14, 18/28 and 27/25, in which the Working Group was requested to submit an
annual report to the Council on all activities relating to its mandate.
2.
Representatives of Member States, the Holy See, international organizations,
regional organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and invited panellists
participated in the session of the Working Group (see annex II).
II. Organization of the sixteenth session
A.
Opening of the session
3.
Ms. Fanon Mendès-France opened the session and welcomed all participants. In
particular she welcomed the three new members of the Working Group, Mr. Gumedze,
Mr. Balcerzak and Mr. Sunga.
4.
The Chief of the Anti-Racial Discrimination Section of the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Yury Boychenko, delivered the
opening statement of the session, and informed the meeting that the High Commissioner
would deliver his statement to the session on 1 April 2015. In his opening statement, Mr.
Boychenko highlighted the important role of the Working Group in bringing focus to the
multiple challenges faced by people of African descent in the enjoyment of the right to
development, and in submitting important recommendations for States Members of the
United Nations and civil society at large on ways to address the protection of their human
rights.
B.
Election of the Chair-Rapporteur
5.
Ms. Fanon Mendès-France was re-elected Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group.
The Chair thanked the other members of the Working Group and the participants for their
support and added that the Working Group would continue to strive to strengthen the
mandate that had been entrusted to it.
C.
Organization of work
6.
2
The Working Group adopted the agenda (see annex I) and programme of work.