The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent will be on a fact-finding visit to Australia from 12 to 20 December 2022.
The experts will gather information on any forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, to assess the overall human rights situation of Africans and people of African descent, said Catherine S. Namakula, who heads the expert group.
The Working Group’s delegation, which is visiting the country at the invitation of the Government, will travel to Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, and meet representatives of the Government, national institutions, people of African descent, civil society organisations and individuals working on issues of racism and racial discrimination.
The delegation, which also includes human rights experts Barbara Reynolds and Dominique Day, will examine good practices and gaps in protecting the human rights of people of African descent in Australia.
The experts will also promote the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024).
A news conference to share the delegation’s preliminary findings and recommendations will be held at 12:00pm on Tuesday, 20 December at Hyatt Hotel Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra, Australia.