People are different, people are equal: races without racism

A thematic exhibition “People are different, people are equal: races without racism” timed to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination runs at the Documents of International Organizations Reading Room (room 207g) from March 14 to April 13.

This Day was proclaimed at the XXI session of the United Nations General Assembly on 26 October, 1966 (resolution 2142 (XXI)) and is celebrated annually on 21 March.

This date is chosen in memory of victims of the tragic events in the Republic of South Africa: in 1960 in South African city Sharpeville the police shot 69 participants of the peaceful demonstration against the “pass laws” adopted within the framework of apartheid policies. Many protesters, including women and children, were wounded.

According to the first clause of the General Declaration of Human Rights, all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Proclaiming the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the United Nations General Assembly noted that the racial discrimination is a crime against human dignity which denies the basic freedom and human rights. Having recognized that discrimination is a serious obstacle to economic and social development, international cooperation and peace, the Assembly called the international community to double efforts with the view of eliminating all forms of racial discrimination and xenophobia wherever they took place.

Since the proclamation of the resolution an essential progress in the field of the fight against racial discrimination has been achieved. In many countries racist laws and practice have been abolished. Prohibition of racial discrimination has been fixed in all key international documents concerning human rights. With the view of struggling against racism, the special international network functioning according to the clauses of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination has been created. At present the convention has been ratified by almost all countries of the world.

In 2001 in Durban (SAR) took place the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance at which the most authoritative and comprehensive documents concerning the fight against racism and racial discrimination were adopted: the Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions. In April 2009 participants of the Durban Review Conference, having considered the global progress achieved in the sphere of the fight against racism, concluded that there was still a lot to do. Participants of the Conference noted that complete elimination of racism and racial discrimination had not been achieved yet. This problem remains urgent the world over. Acts of racial and ethnic discrimination happen everyday and slow down the progress of millions people all over the world. Racism and intolerance can take multiple forms: from violence of the basic principles of equality concerning separate persons to stirring up of ethnic hatred which can lead to genocide, – and all this can cause homicide and split society. At conference it was noted that the struggle against racism is one of the major tasks of the international community.

The offered thematic exhibition is designed to draw the readers’ attention to the activity of the United Nations Organization and other international organizations and the associations aimed at the elimination of racism and struggle against racial discrimination on local, national and international level.

The exposition comprises about 60 documents: books, brochures, periodicals and mimeographed documents of the international organizations (UNO, UNESCO, the European Union, the council of Europe) in Russian, French and English.

The exhibition consists of the subject sections as follow:

• Racism: historical retrospective;
• International legal documents concerning the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination;
• International cooperation in the field of the fight against racism;
• The policy of particular countries in the field of the elimination of racism.

The exhibition is designed for specialists in the field of international relations, lawyers, research workers, university professors and students, and also for everyone who is interested in the issues of human rights.

Useful links

UN system

• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Racism and Human Rights
• The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
• The Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions
• The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
• The Independent Eminent Experts Group
• The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (factual sheet № 12)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• United Nations Sport for Development and Peace

Conferences

• Durban Review Conference (Geneva, 20–24 April, 2009)
• The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (Durban, South Africa, 31 August – 7 September, 2001

Basic documents

• General Declaration of Human Rights
• UN Declaration the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice
• Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions
• Outcome document of the Durban Review Conference
• The Day Proclamation (A/RES/2142 (XXI))
• The Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination (A/RES/34/24)
• Declarations and Conventions
• The decade of the fight against racism and racial discrimination