Fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Panel #1: Reparatory justice for Africa and people of African descent

The panel will take place on Tuesday 15 April from 10:00 to 13:00.

Reparatory justice for Africa and people of African descent is a critical and urgent global priority, addressing the enduring legacies of colonialism, enslavement, apartheid, and genocide. For centuries, Africa and its diaspora have suffered the consequences of these injustices, manifested today in systemic and structural racism within and among countries. These historical injustices continue to undermine the development of African nations and hinder the full enjoyment of human rights for people of African descent.

The demand for reparations stems from the recognition that the lasting and structural harms of enslavement and colonialism were not only a violation of human rights but also a moral and an economic debt that continues to impact generations. The legacy of systemic racism, economic exploitation, and unequal access to human rights and opportunities still plagues both Africa and its diaspora. In this context, reparations are seen not merely as a financial call, but as a means of redress that can address systemic and structural inequalities, restore dignity, and promote long-term development.

Collaborative efforts between African governments, regional organizations like the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), are crucial in advancing reparatory justice. The CARICOM’s 10-Point Action Plan and the AU’s commitment to addressing the legacy of enslavement and colonialism, including its proposal to designate “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” as the theme for 2025, have laid the groundwork for reparations for people of African descent, and provide frameworks for pursuing reparations for enslavement, colonialism, and their enduring legacies.

This panel will highlight the roles and contributions of these key actors in shaping and promoting reparations. It will delve into opportunities for international cooperation, and the mobilization of resources, while also addressing challenges such as political resistance and limited funding.

Panel #2: Human rights of women and girls of African descent

The panel will take place on Tuesday 15 April from 15:00 to 18:00.

The unequal human rights situation of women and girls are the result of historical patriarchal political, legal, socioeconomic, and cultural structures and practices that ignore their specific experiences. These structures and practices remain across cultures, in both private a public sector, limiting women and girls access to opportunities, leadership, decision-making and power positions and resulting in gender inequalities, sex based discrimination and violence. For women of African descent, the situation is exacerbated by the existence of racism, racial discrimination and related structures and practices inherited from colonialism and enslavement, The compounded effects of racism and sexism result in multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against women of African descent (misogynoir 1 ) and impedes the full enjoyment of their human rights. This further renders them distinct from men of African descent and from other women who hold similar positions of leadership and power.

Today, the human rights of women of African descent are further impacted by the lack of economic opportunities and autonomy, encompassing credit, land ownership and inheritance, among other issues. In some regions, many women and girls of African descent lack access to quality education, face discrimination in education and in the labour market and are concentrated in undervalued, low-wage and care economy jobs. Systemic racism in health remains a concern for women of African descent as they continue to be at higher risk of death from pregnancy-related causes, face poor health due to chronic diseases and are disproportionately affected by violence at all levels of society, including sexual violence. For women of African descent in political and power spaces, violence, intimidation, harassment, bullying and abuse are real and evident, including in the media. The effect of such intersectional racial violence threatens to eliminate the gains (in education, employment and leadership) made by women of African descent, exclude them from and limit their influence in decision-making and power positions. Political violence against women of African descent reinforces sexual and racial discrimination and hierarchies in politics and further entrenches patriarchy with one privileged group disproportionately influencing politics, economics and culture.

Notwithstanding the broad range of challenges faced by women of African descent in various segments of society, this panel will focus on intersectional racial political violence and its impact on the human rights of Afro-descendant women keeping in mind the global agendas for justice, including reparatory, socio-economic, and digital justice.

1.A term coined by Dr. Moya Bailey to acknowledge the ways Black women are uniquely discriminated against because of their gender and race.