UNHRC to Debate Systemic Racism: AFP

Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the UN, Dieudonné Desiré Sougouri, wrote a letter for 54 African countries calling for “urgent debate” from the UN Human Rights Council on systemic racism, police brutality, human rights violations against people of African descent and the attacks against peaceful protesters. The UNHRC, after a disruption due to Covid-19, resumes its 43rd session today. “The call came after Floyd's family, along with the families of other victims of police violence and over 600 NGOs this week called on the council to urgently address systemic racism and police impunity in the US,” reports AFP. The “letter pointed to the case of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white officer, who has since been charged with murder, pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.” The ambassador maintains that Floyd’s death is not an isolated incident, as revealed by images caught by ubiquitous camera phones and security cameras and revealed on social media. Human Rights Watch also requested scrutiny of racism and police violence in the United States. The Trump administration withdrew the United States from the UNHCR in 2018. – YaleGlobal