UN chief calls for removing 'scourge of racism'

UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the international community to take actions to remove the scourge of racism.

Addressing a UN forum for people of African descent, Guterres said that the African diaspora has enriched societies in every corner of the world and contributed enormously to every field of human endeavor.

"And yet, we are also painfully aware that people of African descent continue to confront entrenched racism and systemic discrimination," he said in a video message to the second session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

The long shadow of centuries of enslavement and colonial exploitation still blights the present. It is past time to recognize and repair longstanding wrongs, said Guterres.

"We must act with greater urgency to rid our societies of the scourge of racism, and ensure the full political, economic and social inclusion of people of African descent as equal citizens, without discrimination," he said.

The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was established in 2021 by the UN General Assembly as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent.

The second session of the forum, held at the UN headquarters in New York, runs from May 30 to June 2.

The establishment of the forum crystalized the commitment of the international community to accelerate along the path towards full equality and justice for people of African descent everywhere, Guterres said.