United Nations 3rd Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Members of AFRE reengage the United Nations for reparations and global recognition for Afrodescendant People.

ATLANTA, GA, USA, April 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Participants at the PFPAD included member states, United Nations organizations, and over 1,500 individuals representing eighty-five countries. The majority were civil society participants representing organizations advocating for the human rights of Afrodescendant people in their respective home countries.

The mission of AFRE was to re-engage with the UN through active participation, written statements, and interventions.

Another aspect of our mission is to bring Afrodescendant leaders to the United Nations to advocate for their cause on a global platform. During this forum, AFRE hosted the President of the Afrodescendant Nation, Dr. Akilah Mukarram, whose message included offering a definition for Afrodescendant. To watch her Oral Statement, click on the video presentation below.

On April 13, 2024, AFRE hosted one of the eighty-five side events supporting the forum. The virtual side event, titled "Reparations: Recognition of Afrodescendants as a People in the Second Decade on People of African Descent," reached audiences worldwide. Its focus emphasized historical advancements and achievements discussed during the Regional Conference of the Americas in Santiago, Chile 2000, and the Durban Declaration 2001. The outcome reports underscored the significance of legally acknowledging the descendants of enslaved Africans in reparations efforts, while also delving into various avenues of reparatory justice. To watch the UN Side Event: Webinar on Reparations and Recognition, click the You Tube Link below.

The meetings in Geneva were organized around thematic discussion topics that supported the approval of a Second Decade for People of African Descent: Reparations, Sustainable Development & Economic Justice; Education; Culture & Recognition; and The Second Decade for People of African Descent.

AFRE's submission of written statements and recommendations focused on reparations and the recognition of Afrodescendants. For more details, please refer to the attachments.

As we await the final report, some key takeaways from the forum include establishment of a Global Reparations Fund, creation of a Special International Reparations Tribunal, adoption of a Declaration of Human Rights for People of African Descent, initiation of an African Union Reparations Program, and considering Haiti as a model for Reparations for People of African Descent. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Statement

As we prepare for the National Reparations Convention in Washington, DC on May 17-20, we urge supporters to register for participation at www.nationalreparationsconvention.com; invite others, provide financial support at https://gofund.me/e6e6419f and join the Afrodescendant Nation's Reparations Movement.

For more information contact:
info@afrodescendant.org
All For Reparations and Emancipation Governing Board
Ishmael Abdul-Salaam, CEO, Governing Board Chair
Ajani Mukarram, Governing Board Member
Dr. Tauheedah Bronner, Governing Board Member

AFRE Emeritus Advisors
H.E. Mr. Silis Muhammad 
H.E. Harriett AbuBakr, Esq. 
H.E. Ida Hakim Lawrence

Written Statements:

3rd Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (April 16 - 19, 2024)
United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Speaker:
Ishmael Abdul-Salaam
AFRE- All For reparations and Emancipation
Item 5: Thematic Discussion: The Second Decade International Decade for People of African Descent- Expectations and Challenges

Greetings members of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. Congratulations Dr. Soomer on your election as the new chairperson of this forum. I am Ishmael Abdul-Salaam, of AFRE (All For Reparations and Emancipation). I must give recognition to our Emeritus Members, The Hon. Silis Muhammad and Harriett AbuBakr, Esq. whose efforts to advocate on behalf of Afrodescendant People expand beyond 30 years in the United Nations.

Afrodescendants have unique concerns stemming from the loss of language, identity and culture, and then became victims'colonialism, slavery, ethnocide, racism, and their lingeringimpacts.

Much has already been said by some 1400 attendees at this forum so for the sake of time we submit the following Recommendations to be addressed as IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS

Recommendations for Immediate Action:
1. Demand that the UN Secretary General urge states to take immediate executive actions, with measurable outcomes, to address reparations for Afrodescendant People.
2. Urge states to formally recognize the global identity of Afrodescendant People and ensure protection of their human rights by supporting the Declaration.
3. Include global recognition of Afrodescendant People in the working group and the Permanent Forum in the second decade of the PFPAD as a permanent agenda item.
4. Prioritize restitution in the form of land as a component of Reparations for Afrodescendant People particularly in states where they exist as minorities.

Contemporary Issues requiring action in the US:
The persistent legacy of plantation slavery manifests in an expanding wealth gap between Black and White households. As of September 2023, Black households in America owned only 23.5% of the wealth of White households.

This gap continues to widen due to exploitation of land, homes, and communities, often facilitated by policies favoring corporations over Afrodescendants, who frequently fall victim to practices such as redlining and blockbusting.

Unfavorable financial policies and limited protections hinder the accumulation of generational wealth through land ownership and acquisition. In 1970, two years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the national homeownership rate for Black households was 41.8%, barely increasing to 42.3% by 2019. Only 1.2% increase compared to a 9.2% increase for white households during the same period.

Neighborhoods inhabited by Afrodescendants are disproportionately labeled as blighted, leading to decreased property values, and facilitating imminent domain seizures for projects like highway expansions, often devastating the socioeconomic fabric of these communities.

Ishmael Abdul-Salaam
All For Reparations and Emancipation
info@afrodescendant.org
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President Akilah Mukarram addresses the PFPAD in Geneva, Switzerland