As the UN independent expert on contemporary racism and intolerance, Tendayi Achiume leads a worldwide effort to combat related human rights violations and tackle systemic racism, through fact-finding missions on the ground, investigating alleged violations, and submitting her findings to the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly in New York.

The Zambian-born law professor tells UN News that it was as an undergraduate that she became fascinated with the potential and power that international law has to ease human suffering, and help transform societies.

In this special edition of our Lid is On podcast - part of our multimedia coverage surrounding the 20th anniversary of the historic Durban Declaration to counter racism – Mita Hosali speaks to Ms. Achiume about where we stand now, two decades on.

Music credit: 'Told You So', by Ketsa