May 20th, 2008
Posted by Laleh Ispahani, Racial Justice Program at 10:06am	Human Rights, Racial Justice

U.N. Expert on Racism Arrives for Tour of U.S.

Yesterday, at the invitation of the United States government, the United Nations' foremost expert on race issues — the Special Rapporteur on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance — arrived in the U.S. The Special Rapporteur, Mr. Doudou Diène, has come here for three weeks to gather first-hand information on these issues, as they manifest themselves in the U.S. During his visit, Mr. Diène will meet with federal and local officials, lawmakers and judicial authorities, and civil society organizations in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mr Diène, a Senegalese lawyer, will report his findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council next year.

The U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, welcomed the visit of the Rapporteur to probe racism but said the Human Rights Council should "spend its time on real problems and the problems of violations of human rights of countries that are notorious violators." Nothing is wrong with this approach as long as the government is seriously and constructively engaging with human rights mechanisms in order to also address domestic human rights violations and bring human rights home.

The United States government was a leader in the creation of the U.N. human rights system following the Second World War. When countries banded together to demand that the War's atrocities "never again" occur, they created a system that includes Special Rapporteurs — experts with specific mandates to investigate, monitor and recommend solutions — like Mr. Diène. More recently, however, the government has taken a back seat in this global rights system and community. For instance, though the U.S. is party to the principal U.N. treaty on the eradication of racial discrimination — the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination — a recent ACLU report to the U.N. committee monitoring compliance with that accord demonstrated the government’s near-total failure to adhere to its terms.

Mr. Diène's visit offers the U.S. government an opportunity to rejoin this global community. With Mr. Diène — a neutral, internationally recognized expert on racism — here, the U.S. can again begin to engage in a transnational dialogue on race issues. Through meetings with both governmental and non-governmental actors throughout the U.S., Mr. Diene will be provided a comprehensive picture of the state of racial discrimination in the U.S. and be in a unique non-partisan position to offer praise and constructive criticism. The U.S. should welcome these findings as an opportunity to obtain both a sense of its standing in the world on race issues and how to better fulfill its obligations under U.N. international human rights treaties.

Mr. Diène's visit is also opportune for another reason. A national dialogue about race in America has been kick-started by African-American Senator Barack Obama's candidacy for the presidency. This dialogue — about crumbling schools that affect the future of all our children; the lack of health care for minorities; the use of race as a proxy for criminal activity; racial bias in the application of the death penalty; violations of the rights of migrant and undocumented workers and the deaths of immigrants detained by federal authorities; and minority over-representation in the criminal justice system — is long overdue.

We will not all agree on all these issues, but we'll make headway only if we talk. So let the conversation begin.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post included a paragraph with the list of issues Mr. Diène will address while in the U.S. That paragraph has been removed. In addition, the second paragraph has been amended to include a quote by Zalmay Khalilzad.

Permalink |	Human Rights, Racial Justice

1. Anonymous Says:
   May 20th, 2008 at 6:27pm

   FAIR COMPITITION LEADS TO A BETTER SOCIETY

   The only reason that race is an issue in any society, is because one group or another feel they have the right to gain power or stay in power by any means. Stopping or preventing any fair competition is ok because, "our existance is more important than yours". Achieving this goal by hook or by crook doesnt matter to some .

   This way of thinking can only manifest when one race or culture feels that thier individual existance, beliefs and wants are more important or relevant than the lives of others that also live on the planet. The exceptance of this logic leads to one believing they have the right to take over or exploit another mans property or land, and punish, or demonize anyone who resists or fights back.

   When this aproach to survival ,is embraced, and put into action, the individual, the race,the culture, the society, the country, or the nation using it, has actually jeapordized its own future existance, peace and survival. When this aproach to life is used against another human being you have now forced him to either, adopt the same concept to protect himself, ATTACK, flee, be detroyed or dehumanized.

   Any and all wars are a product of this phenomina.

   As history has always repeated itself in previous societies, after building and maintaining a great society based on these concepts, they all fail because of the same concept that created them.
   Colapsing from within , its own people using the concept on themselves, or because the other countries, in fear of you doing the same to them, rush to become powerful enough to protect themselves, or try to do you, before you do them.

   It will only end when we as human beings stop using this concept

   to, gain power, maintain power, gather resources or secure survival.

   We should immidiatly start using our power and knowledge today to first protect ourselves from that which has already been set in motion long time ago. Build and maintain a strong military for defence purposes only.At the same time, create a self sufficient, self sustaining society in America containing a balance of all races and cultures around the world.

   We must teach all children the reasons, rules and laws of existing in a peacful inclusive society.

   The other way it can end is if the concept of (win any way you can) evolves to a point where the use of this way of life spreads around the country, spreads around the world, and manifests into a massive war that destroys most, leaving only the meak to inherit the earth.
   SOUNDS FAMILIAR DOESNT IT.

   THANKS
   SCORPI2000

2. Anonymous Says:
   May 21st, 2008 at 3:48am

   How can the UN be expert on Human rights when the outgoing High Commissioner on Human Rights ms Ann Arbour is branded a war ciminal for coverup of genocide in rwanda

   http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/20/121017/147/762/5 18935

   So why is this important? in international law, under ICERD, Australia unlike the US (I think) has given its antiracism laws over to the UN under article 14 of ICERD

   Declarations recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
   in accordance with article 14 of the Convention29
   (Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations were made
   upon ratification, accession or succession.)

   Australia

   28 January 1993

   "The Government of Australia hereby declares that it recognises, for and on behalf of Australia, the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of a violation by Australia of any of the rights set forth in the aforesaid Convention."

   If you would like to learn about the UN Treaties Bodies and the work of CERD and Human rights Council, you can contact them here citing petitions against the Commonwealth of Australia in Dec 2007 and 2008:

   REF: G/SO AUS 215/4
   http://rapidshare.com/files/101392885/OHCHR.23February2008.web.pdf. html
   http://kangaroocourtaus.ath.cx/kangaroo_court_australia/index.php?s howtopic=107

3. Cc Says:
   Feb 23rd, 2009 at 8:09pm

   I hope he takes a good look and a lot of notes....because America has just about every nationality in the world right here.....but very few get their correct label while the rest of us get thrown into a Category by Color!!

   To me this is extreme racism.

   Case in point--> Italian American heritage month is shared with Latino,German,Polish heritage Month.

   URL(http://www.umuc.edu/diversity/italian.shtml)
   National Italian American Heritage Month

   Every year the president of the United States signs an executive order designating the month of October as National Italian American Heritage Month, in recognition of the many achievements and contributions made to American culture by persons of Italian heritage.

   To celebrate, we invite you to explore "Milestones of the Italian American Experience" Web site by The National Italian American Foundation.

   Embark on a journey into the history and achievements of Italians through history from Christopher Columbus's famous voyage in 1492 to the success of Nancy Pelosi, who became the House Minority Leader and the highest-ranking Italian American and woman in Congressional history in 2003.

   If our GoV recognizes Our heritage for a Month(Even though its shared), How come on all applications we have to Mark WHITE or CAUCASION?

   To me...that is RACIST!!

   Is it because if we were given our true labels...the Minority view would be shifted?

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