The United Nations is guided by a simple yet profound purpose – building a more peaceful, just, and equal world where the dignity and rights of every person are upheld – he said at the opening of a high-level meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.
Guterres urged governments to strengthen anti-discrimination and equality laws and the institutions that enforce them, and spare no effort to dismantle systemic discrimination and create inclusive and equal societies.
Guterres said racism is more rampant today than 25 years ago when the Durban Declaration and Program of Action was adopted. The world must confront the enduring consequences of slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination through concrete measures to deliver reparatory justice grounded in international human rights law.
There is a need to see the universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, he said.
