Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York,
September 22, 2021
Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Thank you for the opportunity to address this commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.
I congratulate the Permanent Representatives of Portugal and South Africa for successfully leading consultations on the political declaration that is to be adopted today.
Excellencies,
When the Durban Declaration and Program of Action was adopted in 2001, it was done with emphasis to tackle racial discrimination and intolerance. Sadly, two decades later, the doctrine is still being pursued.
This is not to say that the Durban Declaration and Program of Action has failed, but rather that we have not done enough. We, as a global community, have not done enough to tackle the pervasiveness of racism, racial discrimination, intolerance, and xenophobia.
Tackling racism and all its forms is a moral responsibility for justice. Racism begets violence, displacement, and inequity. It lives on because we allow it to. It penetrates society because we fail to acknowledge diversity.
The Durban Declaration and Program of Action is a comprehensive toolkit to address racism. It makes reference to various groups of people – such as Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, indigenous peoples, minorities, youth, women and children.
Excellencies,
The chosen theme of “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent” is very timely. It serves as a reminder that, in our efforts to recover from the pandemic, is the high need to acknowledge the past and to address the ingrained racism in our societies.
Excellencies,
My presidency for the 76th session will include five rays of hope, one of which is specifically focused on human rights and addressing racism in all its forms. As the United Nations – with human rights as a founding pillar of the organization – we must never lose sight of this core principle. It must permeate everything we do.
Friends, like so much else, the global pandemic has exacerbated underlying conditions and exposed fault lines. The same holds true for racism.
We saw, and still see, the marginalized and the vulnerable fall further behind. Many have been denied equal access to health, education, and security. These pre-existing structural weaknesses were a recipe for disaster long before COVID19, the pandemic has only made the divide and injustice starker.
There are many lessons we can take from the pandemic, from who has been affected and how. Let us be self-aware enough to recognize these failings and to seek racial equality, to close that divide and build the resilience of those who we have sadly left behind.
As we do so, we must ensure that African descendants are adequately represented in decision and policy making processes. For their rights to be meaningfully reflected and translated into doable policies, they must be part of the conversation.
Excellencies, as I stated in the opening of the General Debate – this moment in time is a turning point. Let us turn the tide on racism and intolerance.
We must ‘leave no one behind’.
In closing, allow me to reiterate the importance of acknowledging the past. Whether in the form of a formal apology or through other means, we must own up to and acknowledge what has happened. You cannot move past what is not addressed.
I encourage the international community, individuals, leaders, and stakeholders, to engage in deeper and honest dialogue to address this global issue.
I thank you and I wish us all a successful dialogue for a meaningful adoption of a Political Declaration.
Thank you.
Throughout our disarmament efforts, it is my conviction that women and youth can make a meaningful contribution. Let us take special pains to ensure that women and youth, as well as civil society, are more actively engaged in this work going forward.
