racism

Young Brazilians protest calling for an end to racism (file photo).
Antonio Dourado

'Deplorable' killing of Afro-Brazilian man shows need to address racism, discrimination

24 November 2020
Human Rights

The killing of an Afro-Brazilian man, and the widespread outrage it has sparked, underscores the urgent need for the Government to tackle racism and racial discrimination in South America’s largest country, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday. 

Humanitarians and global leaders in Artificial Intelligence (AI) attended the AI for Good Global Summit held in Geneva in May 2018 (file photo).)
ITU/D. Procofieff

Independent rights expert says emerging technologies entrenching racism, discrimination

15 July 2020
Human Rights

An independent UN human rights expert is calling for greater scrutiny of emerging digital technologies which she said are being used to uphold racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance.

Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri, the Representative of Burkina Faso addresses the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. 15 June 2020.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin

News in Brief 15 June 2020

15 June 2020
News in Brief
  • UN appalled by attack on civilians and humanitarians in Nigeria
  • Atomic agency launches initiative to prevent future pandemics
  • Human Rights Council picks up again after COVID suspension, to hold racism debate
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2'59"
Protesters in McCarren Park in Brooklyn observe 20 minutes of silence for those who have died from racist actions.
© Sarah Scaffidi

Human Rights Council picks up again after COVID suspension, to hold racism debate

15 June 2020
Human Rights

After a three month long COVID-19-enforced break, the Human Rights Council resumed on Monday, giving the green light to a rare Urgent Debate on racism, alleged police brutality and violence against protesters sickened by the killing of American George Floyd in police custody.

Protesters gather in Union Square in New York City to demand justice and to protest racism in the United States following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
UN News/Antonio Lafuente

News in Brief 5 June 2020

5 June 2020
News in Brief
  • Demonstrators in streets should protect themselves and others from COVID-19
  • May confirmed as warmest on record, CO2 levels hit new high despite COVID economic slowdown
  • Taking oceans for granted must stop for all our sakes: world’s fastest yachtswoman
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4'17"
Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism and Racial Discrimination
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

PODCAST: ‘Entrepreneurs of intolerance’ compound COVID-19 racist backlash

17 April 2020
The Lid is On

In this special edition of our Lid Is On podcast, from UN News, we hear from independent UN human rights expert, Tendayi Achiume, who warns that apart from the coronavirus that’s destroying so many lives and transforming societies around the world, a virulent xenophobia and tide of racial hatred has also been unleashed, aided by what she calls “entrepreneurs of intolerance”.

Music credit: Ketsa: “Within the Earth”, and “Awaiting Her Return”

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19'45"
Young women from the Caribbean island of Dominica.
UNDPLAC

UN human rights chief: racism and xenophobia are ‘contagious killers’ too

13 March 2020
Human Rights

The coronavirus outbreak may have forced millions around the world already into “social distancing”, keeping a metre apart to prevent its spread, but it will not stop them from uniting to combat racism, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights declared in Geneva on Friday. 

Children play in a camp for displaced people in southern Idlib, Syria.
UNOCHA

News in Brief 21 February 2020

21 February 2020
News in Brief
  • Fleeing violence in Syria, families now forced to burn clothes to stay warm 
  • Escalating Burkina Faso violence brings wider Sahel displacement emergency into focus
  • UN chief offers sympathy to German people after racist shooting   
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2'59"