The organisation marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Monday with a solemn reminder that the struggle for equality remains unfinished.
Opening the commemoration in the General Assembly Hall, Assembly President Annalena Baerbock reflected on the events of March 21, 1960, when protesters gathered outside the Sharpeville police station to demand dignity and human rights. “They came armed not with weapons, but with conviction,” she said. But she warned that the annual observance is about far more than a single historical moment.
“Racism persists in every corner of the world,” Baerbock said. “Sometimes it is explicit and vulgar. Sometimes it is quiet and discreet, masked in bureaucracy and hidden within the ordinary. But whether loud or silent, it is sinister and damaging.”
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres echoed the warning, stating that racism “harms everyone” and continues to be felt through the lasting consequences of enslavement, colonialism and systemic oppression. He said racism is feeding many of today’s social, economic and political inequalities and remains a driver of conflict.
Guterres expressed particular concern over the mainstreaming of racism, xenophobia and hateful rhetoric on digital platforms and in political discourse. “What might begin with dog whistles can quickly turn into full‑throated hate speech,” he said. “We know where this road leads: to further injustice, violence and even worse.”
Guterres also criticised governments that are dismantling anti‑racist policies or attempting to rewrite historical truths. Such actions, he said, undermine efforts to confront injustice and build more equal societies.
Calling for solidarity, Guterres urged governments, institutions, businesses and communities to work together to defend dignity, justice and equality. “Only together can we protect the rights of every person,” he said.
The UN established the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 1966 in honour of the Sharpeville victims. This year’s commemoration served as a reminder that the global fight against racism remains urgent and ongoing.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
