BIRMINGHAM: United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD) UK country visit

DATE: 23RD JANUARY 2023

TIME: 5PM TILL 7PM

VENUE: BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

LOCATION: THE HIVE, CURZON BUILDING, CURZON LECTURE THEATRE

ABOUT THIS EVENT

This is a meeting so that civil society may meet with the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD) during its UK country visit and inform the fact finding mission.

During this conference you will hear contributions from UK experts and testimonies. 

The WGEPAD would like to also hear from civil society on the following areas of concerns:

1. Health and Wellbeing

2. Crime

3. Police Brutality

4. Law, Governance and Justice

5. Reparations

6. Media

7. Political participation

8. Cultural Rights

9. Housing

10. Education

11. Climate Change

12. Racism

13. Hate Crime

14. Economics & Social Mobility

15. Labour Market Access & Employment

16. Education

Civil Society Verbal Submissions

Civil society will have 2 minutes per person to make a verbal contribution from the floor. Please only register for this event if you wish to make a verbal contribution from the floor and can contribute to the fact finding mission.

About the visit

The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD) is undertaking a fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 18-27 January 2023. The Working Group’s visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is at the invitation of the Government. The visit includes meeting with Government officials, national institutions and civil society in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol.

What is the WGEPAD?

The WGEPAD is a UN body of independent experts dedicated to improving the human rights situation of people of African descent. One of their mandates is to visit different countries to examine critically the situation of people of African descent in the country, identify problems, and make recommendations for resolution of the problems. To fulfil its mandate, the WGEPAD undertakes country visits; holds two annual sessions; responds to information and allegations received concerning its mandate under the Communications procedure; and reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on activities relating to the mandate.

The purpose of country visits

These visits provide an opportunity to examine in detail the situation of people of African descent in the country, to identify any problems and to make recommendations for how these could be resolved. By the nature of the mandate, the Working Group is required to look critically at the situation in a country and identify good practices that could be replicated in other countries. The visits are intended to provide an independent and impartial assessment, which will then be of use to all actors.

What happens during a country visit?

The Working Group meets with relevant Government ministers, representatives of independent human rights institutions, UN agencies, civil society, academia, the media, human rights defenders, and people of African descent, among others. The Working Group will usually begin a visit in the capital city and then continue with visits to other cities or towns of particular relevance to the role and situation of people of African descent.

What sort of information is gathered during a visit?

The Working Group will gather the following types of information: any forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Afrophobia and related intolerance faced by people of African descent; measures taken to prevent racial discrimination and protect victims of racism and hate crimes; mechanisms for the protection, integration and inclusion of migrants and refugees; responses to multiple forms of discrimination that specific groups of African descent may face and the efforts undertaken by the authorities to protect people of African descent from violations.

What happens after the visit?

At the end of the visit, the Working Group holds a media conference and issues a press release with its preliminary findings and recommendations. The Working Group releases a mission report indicating, among other things, the main concerns and recommendations for action. The report on the visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be presented by the Working Group to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2023.

Members of the Working Group

There are five members of the Working Group. The following members of the Working Group will participate in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland visit: Ms. Catherine S. Namakula, Chairperson of the Working Group; Ms. Barbara G. Reynolds, Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group; and Ms. Dominique Day, Member of the Working Group.

Civil Society Participation

Civil society organizations and individuals are invited to provide information on the human rights situation of people of African descent in UK and to participate in meetings to be held in the cities to be visited by the Working Group. For more details on attending the meetings in the different cities, please contact   at  . Written submissions can also be sent to the Working Group through the following email address: OHCHR-africandescent@un.org (Email subject line: Input for WGEPAD visit to UK). Submissions are welcome on the human rights situation of people of African descent; including key concerns and recommendations. For more information on the WGEPAD and its activities, please visit:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/WGAfricanDescent/Pages/WGEPADIndex.aspx