Campaign on Addressing Racism and Promoting Dignity for All
The scourge of racism has affected generations, and many still experience it daily, while others continue to live oblivious to its insidious presence.
A GLOBAL CONCERN
At the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action proposed concrete measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It also recognized that no country can claim to be free of racism, that racism is a global concern, and that tackling it requires a universal effort. The Declaration was adopted by consensus then, and reaffirmed by a new Political Declaration on the occasion of its 10-year anniversary in 2011.
In May 2020, the murder of George Floyd in the United States of America set off an outrage that caused people to leave the isolation brought on by the pandemic and take to the streets in protest, in the United States and then across the globe, thereby igniting a global reckoning on racism and its impact.
A COMMITMENT TO ACTION
The Secretary-General acknowledged that systemic racism is also present within the United Nations. Despite the tenets of the Charter of the United Nations, our core values, and our meaningful work around the world to advance the cause of equality and racial justice, we ourselves, employees of the United Nations, are not immune from racism and racist behaviour.
As part of the call to address racism in the United Nations, the Secretary-General announced a commitment to organizational action to guarantee the equal treatment and full inclusion of all United Nations staff and zero tolerance for any behaviour to the contrary.
AWARENESS AND DIALOGUES
Building on its experience gained in 2019-2021, with the Dignity through Civility campaign, the Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services has joined the campaign to raise awareness and facilitate conversations about racism in the United Nations workplace.
To promote diversity and inclusion and to explore how racism manifests itself within the Organization, our conflict-resolution experts developed a dialogue model that provides a framework using conversation guidelines and carefully considered questions. The goal is to create a safe space for participants to exchange perspectives and experiences relating to racism in the workplace.
By sharing their ideas and comments, participants contribute to changing the culture of the United Nations. In addition, the harvest of ideas (without attribution) helps inform the future strategic action plan for the Organization.
JOIN A DIALOGUE!
Dialogues are offered in different time zones and in the official languages so that employees of the United Nations Secretariat who wish to participate can do so conveniently. These conversations and the harvested ideas aim to be a concrete step towards affirming, restoring, and promoting dignity for all in the United Nations.
Upcoming dialogues are announced on the iSeek page "United Against Racism," on the iSeek calendar, and through other internal channels; ask your Regional Ombudsman for dates of the next sessions. Join us and do your part in addressing racism and promoting dignity for all!