ABOUT

What is the UNDPAD Push Coalition

We envision a future in which:

• Black Canadians have equal access to and opportunities for economic development and prosperity.
• Black Canadians are consulted and included in decision-making and policy development.
• Black Canadians’ contributions to Canadian society and the world are recognized, reaffirmed and celebrated.

The Mission of the The United Nations Decade for People of African Descent (UNDPAD) Push Coalition mission is to advance the Objectives, Pillars and adoption of Special Measures as stated in the UN International Decade of People of African Descent in Canada

Recognition – The right to equality and non-discrimination
Justice – Access to justice
Development – Right to development and measures against poverty with respect to Education, Employment, Health and Housing
Multiple or aggravated discrimination – All levels of government should adopt and implement policies and programmes that provide effective protection for, and review and repeal all policies and laws that could discriminate against, people of African descent

Special measures

The adoption of special measures, such as affirmative action, where appropriate, is essential to alleviating and remedying disparities in the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms affecting people of African descent, protecting them from discrimination and overcoming persistent or structural disparities and de facto inequalities resulting from historical circumstances. As such, All levels of government should develop or elaborate national plans of action to promote diversity, equality, social justice, equality of opportunity and the participation of all. By means of, inter alia, affirmative or positive actions and strategies, these plans should aim at creating conditions for all to participate effectively in decision-making and to realize civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights in all spheres of life on the basis of non-discrimination.

The United Nations Decade for People of African Descent (UNDPAD) Push Coalition emerged organically out of virtual gatherings of the Pan-Canadian Black community serving businesses, social enterprises, individuals, non-profits and charity organizations, dubbed Meeting of the Minds, which hosted by Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN).

Background

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent (resolution 68/237) citing the need to strengthen national, regional and international cooperation in relation to the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in all aspects of society. As proclaimed by the General Assembly, the theme for the International Decade is “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.”

Objectives of the Decade

The main objectives of the International Decade are as follows:

• Promote respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African Descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• Promote a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture and contribution of people of African descent to the development of societies;
• Adopt and strengthen national, regional and international legal frameworks according to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to ensure their full and effective implementation.

Programme of Activities implementation

The Programme of Activities for the Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, which was endorsed by the General Assembly, is to be implemented at several levels.

At the national level, All levels of government should take concrete and practical steps through the adoption and effective implementation of national and international legal frameworks, policies and programmes to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance faced by people of African descent, taking into account the particular situation of women, girls and young males in the following areas:

Recognition

The right to equality and non-discrimination

All levels of government should:

• Remove all obstacles that prevent their equal enjoyment of all human rights, economic, social, cultural, civil and political, including the right to development;
• Promote the effective implementation of national and international legal frameworks;
• Withdraw reservations contrary to the object and purpose of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and consider withdrawing other reservations;
• Undertake a comprehensive review of domestic legislation with a view to identifying and abolishing provisions that entail direct or indirect discrimination;
• Adopt or strengthen comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and ensure its effective implementation;
• Provide effective protection for people of African descent, and review and repeal all laws that have a discriminatory effect on people of African descent facing multiple, aggravated or intersecting forms of discrimination;
• Adopt, strengthen and implement action-oriented policies, programmes and projects to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance designed to ensure full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African descent; All levels of government are also encouraged to elaborate national plans of action to promote diversity, equality, equity, social justice, equality of opportunity and the participation of all;
• Establish and/or strengthen national mechanisms or institutions with a view to formulating, monitoring and implementing policies to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and promoting racial equality, with the participation of representatives of civil society;
• As appropriate, establish and/or strengthen independent national human rights institutions, in conformity with the Paris Principles, and/or similar mechanisms with the participation of civil society, and provide them with adequate financial resources, competence and capacity for protection, promotion and monitoring to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Justice

Access to justice

All levels of government should take further measures, by:

• Introducing measures to ensure equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice;
• Designing, implementing and enforcing effective measures to eliminate the phenomenon popularly known as “racial profiling”;
• Eliminating institutionalized stereotypes concerning people of African descent and applying appropriate sanctions against law enforcement officials who act on the basis of racial profiling;
• Ensuring that people of African descent have full access to effective protection and remedies through the competent national tribunals and other State institutions against any acts of racial discrimination, and the right to seek from such tribunals just and adequate reparation or satisfaction for any damage suffered as a result of such discrimination;
• Adopting effective and appropriate measures, including legal measures as appropriate, to combat all acts of racism, in particular the dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, incitement to racial hatred, violence or incitement to racial violence, as well as racist propaganda activities and participation in racist organizations; All levels of government are also encouraged to ensure that such motivations are considered an aggravating factor for the purpose of sentencing;
• Facilitating access to justice for people of African descent who are victims of racism by providing the requisite legal information about their rights, and providing legal assistance when appropriate;
• Preventing and punishing all human rights violations affecting people of African descent, including violence, acts of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, including those committed by State officials;
• Ensuring that people of African descent, like all other persons, enjoy all the guarantees of a fair trial and equality before the law as enshrined in relevant international human rights instruments, and specifically the right to the presumption of innocence, the right to assistance of counsel and to an interpreter, the right to an independent and impartial tribunal, guarantees of justice, and all the rights to which prisoners are entitled;
• Acknowledging and profoundly regretting the untold suffering and evils inflicted on millions of men, women and children as a result of slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide and past tragedies, noting that some All levels of government have taken the initiative to apologize and have paid reparation, where appropriate, for grave and massive violations committed, and calling on those that have not yet expressed remorse or presented apologies to find some way to contribute to the restoration of the dignity of victims;
• Inviting the international community and its members to honour the memory of the victims of these tragedies with a view to closing those dark chapters in history and as a means of reconciliation and healing; further noting that some have taken the initiative of regretting or expressing remorse or presenting apologies, and calling on all those that have not yet contributed to restoring the dignity of the victims to find appropriate ways to do so and, to this end, appreciating those countries that have done so;
• Calling upon all All levels of government concerned to take appropriate and effective measures to halt and reverse the lasting consequences of those practices, bearing in mind their moral obligations.

Special measures

The adoption of special measures, such as affirmative action, where appropriate, is essential to alleviating and remedying disparities in the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms affecting people of African descent, protecting them from discrimination and overcoming persistent or structural disparities and de facto inequalities resulting from historical circumstances. As such, All levels of government should develop or elaborate national plans of action to promote diversity, equality, social justice, equality of opportunity and the participation of all. By means of, inter alia, affirmative or positive actions and strategies, these plans should aim at creating conditions for all to participate effectively in decision-making and to realize civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights in all spheres of life on the basis of non-discrimination.

Development

Right to development and measures against poverty

Consistent with the Declaration on the Right to Development, All levels of government should adopt measures aimed at guaranteeing active, free and meaningful participation by all individuals, including people of African descent, in development and decision-making related thereto and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom.

Recognizing that poverty is both a cause and a consequence of discrimination, All levels of government should, as appropriate, adopt or strengthen national programmes for eradicating poverty and reducing social exclusion that take account of the specific needs and experiences of people of African descent, and should also expand their efforts to foster bilateral, regional and international cooperation in implementing those programmes.

All levels of government should implement actions to protect ancestral groups of people of African descent.

Education

All levels of government should take all necessary measures to give effect to the right of people of African descent, particularly children and young people, to free primary education and access to all levels and forms of quality public education without discrimination. All levels of government should:

• Ensure that quality education is accessible and available in areas where communities of African descent live, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, with attention to improving the quality of public education;
• Take measures to ensure that public and private education systems do not discriminate against or exclude children of African descent, and that they are protected from direct or indirect discrimination, negative stereotyping, stigmatization and violence from peers or teachers; to this end, training and sensitization should be provided to teachers and measures should be taken to increase the number of teachers of African descent working in educational institutions.

Employment

All levels of government should take concrete measures to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the workplace against all workers, in particular people of African descent, including migrants, and ensure the full equality of all before the law, including labour law, and eliminate barriers, where appropriate, to participation in vocational training, collective bargaining, employment, contracts and trade union activity; access to judicial and administrative tribunals dealing with grievances; seeking employment in different parts of their country of residence; and working in safe and healthy conditions.

Health

All levels of government should take measures to improve access to quality health services to people of African descent.

Housing

Recognizing the poor and insecure housing conditions in which many people of African descent live, All levels of government should develop and implement policies and projects as appropriate aimed at, inter alia, ensuring that they gain and sustain a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace and dignity.

Multiple or aggravated discrimination

• All levels of government should adopt and implement policies and programmes that provide effective protection for, and review and repeal all policies and laws that could discriminate against, people of African descent facing multiple, aggravated or intersecting forms of discrimination based on other related grounds, such as sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, property, birth, disability or other status.
• All levels of government should mainstream a gender perspective when designing and monitoring public policies, taking into account the specific needs and realities of women and girls of African descent, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences, and ensure adequate access to maternal health care.

At the regional and International levels, the international community and international and regional organizations are called, among other things, to raise awareness, disseminate the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, assist All levels of government in the full and effective implementation of their commitments under the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, collect statistical data, incorporate human rights into development programmes and honour and preserve historical memory of people of African descent.