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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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. \u201cThey came armed not with weapons, but with conviction,\u201d she said. But she warned that the annual observance is about far more than a single historical moment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cRacism persists in every corner of the world,\u201d Baerbock said. \u201cSometimes 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UN Secretary\u2011General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres echoed the warning, stating that racism \u201charms everyone\u201d and continues to be felt through the lasting consequences of enslavement, colonialism and systemic oppression. He said racism is feeding many of today\u2019s social, economic and political inequalities and remains a driver of conflict.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres expressed particular concern over the mainstreaming of racism, xenophobia and hateful rhetoric on digital platforms and in political discourse. \u201cWhat might begin with dog whistles can quickly turn into full\u2011throated hate speech,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know where this road leads: to further injustice, violence and even worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres also criticised governments that are dismantling anti\u2011racist policies or attempting to rewrite historical truths. Such actions, he said, undermine efforts to confront injustice and build more equal societies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Calling for solidarity, Guterres urged governments, institutions, businesses and communities to work together to defend dignity, justice and equality. \u201cOnly together can we protect the rights of every person,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The UN established the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 1966 in honour of the Sharpeville victims. This year\u2019s commemoration served as a reminder that the global fight against racism remains urgent and ongoing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29709,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,26],"class_list":["post-29708","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Nearly 70 years after South African police shot and killed 69 peaceful demonstrators in Sharpeville during a protest against apartheid pass laws, the United Nations (UN) has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting racism in all its forms.\u00a0","published_date":"","news_description":"Nearly 70 years after South African police shot and killed 69 peaceful demonstrators in Sharpeville during a protest against apartheid pass laws, the United Nations (UN) has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting racism in all its forms.\u00a0","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29710,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29708\/revisions\/29710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=29708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}