Gallery of Statements
Position Statements Made by Civil Society Post Durban.
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)*
Adopted by consensus at the 2001 World Conference against Racism (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa, the DDPA is a comprehensive, action-oriented document that proposes concrete measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It is holistic in its vision, addresses a wide range of issues, and contains far-reaching recommendations and practical measures.
11 July 2023 - African Diaspora Sixth Region High Council Launches
Global African Diaspora Representatives, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique, proudly announce the launch of the establishment of the African Union African Diaspora Sixth Region High Council. This historic momentous occasion took place on 11 July 2023, in Maputo, Mozambique, coinciding with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Article 3Q of the amended Constitutive Act of the African Union.
The launching ceremony was presided over by the esteemed Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique and started with a warm welcome statement by the Maputo City Council on behalf of the Mayor of Maputo. The Pan African Rootssynergy Maputo Roundtable was organized from July 10-13th 2023...
May 2023 - Joint Statement of International Association against Torture and The December 12th Movement
The DDPA and the War on Reparations for African People
The Undeclared War on Reparations in the United Nations. In 2023, we are in the midst of an undeclared battle for reparations at the United Nations. This battle revolves around the Durban Declaration and Program of Action [DDPA] and the newly created UN mechanism, the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. To understand how we got here and the importance of this battle for African people globally, we must review some history...
May 2023, Panelist Reparatory Justice Second Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
Excellencies, members of the Forum, Families here and online, Kings and Queens of the Traditional Kingdoms of Africa, Madam Chair congratulations with the organisation of the second session of the Forum and thank you for the invitation to participate in this important historical panel. A tribute to the great ancestors, Our people and Children yet unborn on whose behalf I speak. Madam Chair, I was particularly honored to be invited by the President of UNGA to speak on December 10th, 2014 on behalf of the global civil society during the launch of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent. 9 years later I am back in the building of the international community to deliver my views on the issue of Reparatory Justice. A subject that has occupied us, our minds and brains for years and worries us...
May 4, 2023 Statement by Dr. Barryl A. Biekman at the 32nd Session of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
Mr. Chair, members of the Working Group, Diplomatic Staffs to the United Nations, Participants, Global African Families Ubuntu connected Greetings. Thank you Mr. Chair for given me the floor to address some words in the context of memoirs of Durban by the Legends of Durban. I speak on behalf of Tiye International and the National Monument of Dutch Slavery past. I’m a member of the Global Pan African Coalition on Durban Plus 20 and the implementation of the International UN Decade For people of African descents. I’m one of the Leading facilitators of the African Union African Diaspora 6th Region Working Group towards...
October 13, 2022 Statement of Dr. Barryl A. Biekman (the Netherlands) Tiye International Geneva Palais des Nations During the 20th session of the IGWG on the effective implementation of the DDPA
Topic Item 9: Discussion on the Draft Declaration on the promotion and full respect of the Human Rights of People of African Descent. I Thank you, Madam Chair, for given me the floor. First of all, I would like to thank all the panelists for their vision and contribution towards the development of the Declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of People of African Descent...
Remarks by HRM Queen Mother Sêmévo Dr. Dòwòti Désir Global Pan-African Roots Synergy Roundtable, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 25 May 2022
African Royal Courts, Governments & the African Diaspora: Our Triangulated Responsibilities - HRM Queen Mother Sêmévo Dr. Dòwòti Désir shares remarks made for the Global Pan-African Roots Synergy Roundtable, endorsed by the African Union ECOSOCC and CIDO, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 25 May 2022. The video addresses the Right to Return to the African continent by the historic African Diaspora, and proposes practical steps African governments, royal courts and civil society on both sides of the Atlantic can take to create a 3-way partnership to facilitate repatriation...
September 22, 2021 Statement by Dr. Barryl A. Biekman Civil Society Speaker At the Opening of the UNGA High Level Meeting on the Theme: “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent"
Mr. President,Excellencies, Distinguished guest Greetings, I feel much honored to have been selected to deliver the keynote address on behalf of civil society when the United Nations and all people committed to the elimination of racism are proudly commemorating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark Durban Declaration and Programme of Action...
September 15, 2021 Joint Coalition Statement
Uniting The fifteenth day of September 2021 We, The Pan-African Coalition on Durban+20; the European region Civil Society Coalition for the implementation of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent; Participating representatives of Pan-Africanists and People of African Descent organisations, together with civil society, friends and people of goodwill, Taking note of the draft Political Declaration dated September 10th for the adoption of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly in perspective of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action...
2019 - Accra Declaration on the Decade of Return
The value of Pan Africanism The first Pan African Conference in 1900 in London set the Agenda for the entire 20th Century with regard to the liberation of the African Continent and its Diaspora. The concept of Pan Africanism was born in 1900. It remains the most powerful and mobilizing factor for Africans globally in this The 21th century. Amongst the pioneers of this movement were Henry Sylvester Williams, William E.B. Du Bois and Bénito Sylvain. Sylvain, a Haitian, was the honorary consul of Ethiopia. The...
2019 - Final Conclusions UN Women Parallel Event of ECOWAS Women and Global African SHEROES Union
This year, the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11 – 22 March 2019. It focused on the theme, “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls”. In addition to negotiations for a new declaration..,
2016 - Rotterdam Roundtable Report on Durbanplus15
Presented in the following pages are the outcomes of the recently International Roundtable on March 19th and 20th 2016 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This International Roundtable the first to commemorate 15 years of the Durban process, that was linked to the Decade for people of African descent was organised by civil society NGO’s and initiated by the Global Coalition for the Implementation of the UN Decade for People of African Descent. It was organised in close cooperation with: LPS (National Platform Dutch Slavery Past, This includes The African European Women’s Movement “Sophiedela”); Tiye International; CC_IDPAD (Global Coalition International Decade for People of African Descent); PANAFSTRAG (Pan African Strategic and Policy Group); ENGOCCAR (European NGO Consultative Council on Afrikan Reparations); PADU (Pan African Diaspora Union...
2014 - Launching International Decade for People of African descent - Dr. Barryl Biekman
Mr. President, Excellencies, Honoured Guests, Representatives of the African Families and Civil Society, I bring you greetings from the members of Tiye International, The African European Women ' s ' Movement "Sophiedela", the Platform of the Dutch Slavery Past, the Global Coalition for the International Decade for People of African descent1 and the world wide Civil Society grassroots African families on this historical moment of the launching of the International Decade for People of African descent. Mr. President, We support the International Decade for People of African descent and it’s Mandate to follow the recommendations pertaining to the DDPA from the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia...
2012 - The AU Diaspora Declaration & Program of Action
DECLARATION OF THE GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT WE, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the Caribbean and South America RECOGNIZING the important presence of Heads of State and Government from the Caribbean Community, South and Latin America and representatives of the African Diaspora; EXPRESSING our appreciation to His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma, the Government and People of the Republic of South Africa and the African Union for the warm reception and for hosting and conducting this Summit; TAKING COGNIZANCE of the dialogue carried out between Africans on the Continent and representatives of the African Diaspora in various regions of the...
2011 - Libya Position Paper to the UN
Compensation for "damage caused by colonialism" proposed at UN Request for the inclusion of a supplementary item in the United Nations agenda. The General Committee of the United Nations should take up the matter later in 2011. Letter dated 29 July 2010 from the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations: I have the honour to request, in accordance with rule 14 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, the inclusion in the agenda of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly of a supplementary item entitled “Compensation for damage caused by colonialism”...
2011 - Durban +10 Coalition Statement
A Peoples and NGO Initiative to Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action To honor the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa, and to continue the global fight against racism and xenophobia, a broad alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the United States and worldwide have joined together to form the Durban + 10 Coalition. The Durban +10 Coalition strongly welcomes the UN General Assembly holding of a High Level meeting at the level of heads of state and government to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) ...
2009 - Declaration Civil Society Forum for the Durban Review Conference
Civil Society Forum 2009 for the Durban Review Conference 17-19 April 2009, Geneva, Switzerland The Civil Society Forum for the Durban Review Conference was held in Geneva April 17 to 19, 2009 as a Peoples preparation and input for the Durban Review Conference. It assembled some 400 participants from all regions of the world who met in Plenary Sessions and engaged in intensive discussions in 8 working groups relating to the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. On Saturday afternoon participants joined together with people from Geneva in a large public manifestation organised in cooperation with a broad group of 60 Geneva organisations, including Trade Unions and solidarity groups...
2007 - Addis Ababa Roundtable Report on Durbanplus5
Presented in the following pages is related in a queue regarding of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) held in Durban/South Africa from 31 August to 8 September 2001. The final documentation of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) in Durban/South Africa from 31 August to 8 September 2001 show some interesting text. One of the outcomes is that: “....slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transatlantic slave trade and are among the major sources and manifestations of racism..... and that the Africans and people of African descents…. were victims of these acts continue to be victims of their consequences ”...
1993 - Abuja Proclamation of 1993
Abuja Proclamation of 1993 A declaration of the first Abuja Pan-African Conference on Reparations for African Enslavement, Colonization and Neo-Colonization, sponsored by the Organization Of African Unity and its Reparations Commission April 27-29, 1993, Abuja, Nigeria. This First Pan-African Conference on Reparations, held in Abuja, Nigeria, April 27-29, 1993 and sponsored by the Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) and the Commission for Reparations of the Organization of African Unity and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Recalling the Organization of African Unity's establishment of a machinery the Group of Eminent Persons for appraising the issue of reparations in relation to the damage done to Africa and its diaspora by enslavement, colonization and neo-colonialism, Convinced that the issue of reparations is an important question requiring the united action of Africa and its Diaspora and worthy of the...