IACHR: OAS States must adopt measures to ensure the rights of persons and People of African descent

March 21, 2025

Washington DC—In the framework of the commemorations of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21) and the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade March 25), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calls on States to comply with the objectives of the Second Decade for People of African Descent on recognition, justice and development.

In December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 68/237, which proclaimed the period from 2015 to 2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent , with objectives to guarantee the rights of this population and their equal participation in society. The first decade promoted important advances in discussions on comprehensive restorative justice for historical human trafficking and slavery; the recognition of lands and territories of tribal communities of African descent; and the incorporation of the racial approach in education systems.

Within this framework, the IACHR stresses that it is essential to give continuity to international, regional and national cooperation efforts for the enjoyment of the rights of people of African descent, in line with the OAS Plan of Action, 2016-2025. This continuity will be possible with the fulfillment of the objectives of the Second Decade for People of African Descent which, declared in January 2025, will run until 2034 with the theme "Afro-descendants: recognition, justice and development". Within the Inter-American system, efforts are underway to adopt a future Declaration to promote the human rights of persons and peoples of African Descent.

The Commission urges States to recognize and respect the historical agency of people of African descent in the Americas and Caribbean, whose resistance, cultural contributions, political activism, and economic participation have fundamentally shaped the region. The IACHR, therefore, calls upon States to adopt comprehensive legal and policy frameworks to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including intersectional and structural patterns that perpetuate historical injustices, systemic marginalization, and socioeconomic exclusion of persons and peoples of African descent.

Furthermore, States must implement effective measures to address persistent disparities through comprehensive strategies that guarantee equality and non-discrimination, informed by robust data collection on the socioeconomic conditions of Afro-descendant populations. These strategies should simultaneously protect collective rights to ancestral lands and cultural heritage, ensure equitable access to education, healthcare, employment, and political representation, and facilitate meaningful participation in decision-making processes that affect these communities, in accordance with international and regional human rights obligations to combat poverty and structural inequities affecting people of African descent.

The IACHR maintains its commitment to the rights of Afro-descendants, while reaffirming its willingness to provide technical cooperation to States for the development and implementation of actions aimed at guaranteeing the rights of this population.

The IACHR is a principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission is mandated to promote the observance of human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR is composed of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 057/25

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