Day of the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Apartheid, the forced separation of people into ethnic, racial and other groups, limits the rights and freedoms of individuals enshrined in international regulations The indigenous people of Africa were enslaved for hundreds of years and were discriminated against by the colonialists In March 1960 in South Africa, 69 black people were killed during a demonstration against the apartheid regime in Sharpeville This case became the starting point for the fight against racism at the global level The UN has repeatedly drawn attention to cases of infringement of the rights of groups of people based on skin color, religious affiliation, ethnicity or nationality The segregation of citizens of the United States, South Africa and European countries deprives them of basic freedoms that are necessary to participate in both the political and economic, as well as the social and cultural life of society In addition to the Human Rights Convention and other acts, Resolution No 2106 of the UN General Assembly, adopted on December 21, 1965, is called upon to correct the situation It condemns xenophobia, apartheid, racial discrimination and incitement to it The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination came into force several years after its adoption - in January 1969 The Treaty was ratified by 88 countries of the world, and today 182 states are parties to it Compliance with the provisions of the Convention is monitored by a special committee, which includes 18 experts It considers individual complaints from both individual citizens and petitions drawn up by various social groups in member countries The agreement calls for establishing mutual understanding between races, eradicating hateful behavior (utterances and provocations), and prohibiting membership in nationalist organizations and fascist groups The Convention enshrines the rights of ethnic and other types of minorities to participate in elections, equality before the judiciary, personal security, freedom of movement and protection by the state The adoption of the treaty helps to eradicate segregation, makes medical care and healthcare available to all its citizens, influences the creation of favorable working conditions, and guarantees decent pay for people of different skin colors The annual celebration of International Convention Day reminds society that its well-being depends on the constructive interaction of its members Any doctrine of superiority on ethnic, national or other grounds is untenable from a scientific and moral point of view Racial discrimination and any other xenophobia must be condemned, as it interferes with building a socially just society in which every person can realize basic rights and freedoms