2021 HRC Global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

HRC 48th ses­sion
2021-10-11

Res­o­lu­tion A/HRC/RES/48/18
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Analysis of precedential value

This UN Human Rights Coun­cil (HRC) res­o­lu­tion was adopted by a recorded vote of 32 in favor and 10 against, with 5 absten­tions in Octo­ber 2021. The HRC is com­posed of elected rep­re­sen­ta­tives from 47 Mem­ber States; together, they are respon­si­ble for coor­di­nat­ing inves­ti­ga­tions of and responses to human rights vio­la­tions.

Used as precedent

key and vulnerable populations

Express­ing con­cern at the loss of life and liveli­hoods and the dis­rup­tion to economies and soci­eties by the COVID-19 pan­demic, and its neg­a­tive impact on the enjoy­ment of human rights around the world, dis­pro­por­tion­ately affect­ing cer­tain indi­vid­u­als, includ­ing those fac­ing racism, racial dis­crim­i­na­tion, xeno­pho­bia and related intol­er­ance, which the pan­demic has high­lighted and exposed, includ­ing under­ly­ing deep and long-stand­ing struc­tural inequal­i­ties and fun­da­men­tal prob­lems in var­i­ous areas of social, eco­nomic, civil and polit­i­cal life, and exac­er­bated exist­ing inequal­i­ties, and recall­ing that sys­temic and struc­tural racism and racial dis­crim­i­na­tion fur­ther exac­er­bate inequal­ity in access to health care and treat­ment, lead­ing to racial dis­par­i­ties in health out­comes and a higher rate of mor­tal­ity and mor­bid­ity among indi­vid­u­als and groups fac­ing racial dis­crim­i­na­tion

digital health

Rec­og­niz­ing that the design and use of emerg­ing dig­i­tal tech­nolo­gies can exac­er­bate and com­pound exist­ing inequal­i­ties, many of which exist on racial, eth­nic and national ori­gin grounds, and that a major con­cern is the preva­lence of emerg­ing dig­i­tal tech­nolo­gies in deter­min­ing every­day out­comes in employ­ment, edu­ca­tion, health care and crim­i­nal jus­tice, which intro­duces the risk of sys­tem­ized dis­crim­i­na­tion on an unprece­dented scale