On 18 june, ADHRB has delivered an oral interventions at the resumption of the United Nation Human Rights Council 43 The Urgent debate of the General Debate on police brutality and racism in the United States.
Madame President
We applaud the Council’s decision to hold this important urgent debate that deals with occurring and ongoing concerns of police brutality, systematic racism, and violence against peaceful protests. However, we need to see results coming out of this council.
The death of Mr. George Floyd (may he rest in power) is only one of many incidents that happen as a result of US police brutality. Similar human rights violations took place in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, and many other states. There is a clear consensus among civil rights groups in the US that this systemic racism is so deeply rooted that allows racially motivated crimes and human rights violations conducted by US police and military forces to go unpunished. The only reason that the case of George Floyd is being investigated is because his death was recorded and thus reached a huge national and international media attention.
Systemic racism in US institutions constitutes a serious human rights issue. Therefore, the Council should either send an official fact finding mission to the United States or create a special rapporteur on the US to address the ongoing institutional racism. Also, the Council needs to send a strong message to the White House that it cannot get a free pass for serious human rights violations against its People of Color.
Thank you!
