2015-2024: International Decade for People of African Descent

The International Decade for People of African Descent, 2015–2024, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2013. Themes are Recognition, Justice, and Development with the overall goal—to promote and protect human rights. A UN Working Group visited Canada in 2016 at the invitation of the Canadian government. They met with numerous federal and provincial government agencies as well as NGO’s and academics. Their August 16, 2017 report includes a Historical Overview of Canada, Demographics and 41 Recommendations.
The report concluded, “Despite Canada’s reputation for promoting multiculturalism and diversity and the positive measures taken by the national and provincial governments, the Working Group is deeply concerned about the structural racism that lies at the core of many Canadian institutions and the systemic anti-Black racism that continues to have a negative impact on the human rights situation of African-Canadians.”