Human Rights Council

Eigh teenth session

Agenda item 9

Racism, racial discrim ination, xenophobia and related form of intolerance, follow- up and implementat ion of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council *

18/28Mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2002/68 of 25 April 2002 and 2003/30of 23 April 2003,

Bearing in mind paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006,

Reaffirming the obligations of States under relevant international human rights instruments, in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 (XX) of 21 December 1965,

Recalling all previous resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular Council resolution 9/14 of 18 September 2008 on the mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the Council, and 5/2, on the code of conduct for special procedures mandate holders of the Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his/her duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,

Stressing the imperative need for the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent to accomplish its mandate,including in accordance with paragraphs 5 to 7 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,

1.Decides to extend the mandate of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent for a further period of three years, in accordance with the terms of reference contained in Human Rights Council resolution 9/14;

2.Also d ecides that the Working Group shall undertake a minimum of two country visits per year;

3.Requests all Governments to cooperate fully with the Working Group in the discharge of its mandate, including by responding promptly to the Working Group’s communications and by providing the information requested;

4.Requests the Working Group to submit an annual report to the Human Rights Council on all activities relating to its mandate;

5.Requests States, non-governmental organizations, relevant human rights treaty bodies, special procedures and other mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, national human rights institutions, international, financial and development institutions, and specialized agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations to collaborate with the Working Group, including by, inter alia, providing it with the necessary information and, where possible, reports in order to enable the Working Group to carry out its mandate, including with regard to field missions;

6.Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Working Group with all the human, technical and financial assistance necessary for the effective fulfilment of its mandate;

7.Recalls the establishment of a voluntary fund to provide additional resources for, inter alia, the participation of people of African descent, representatives of developing countries, especially the least developed countries, non-governmental organizations and experts, in the open-ended sessions of the Working Group, and invites States to contribute to that fund.

38th meeting

30 September 2011

[Adopted without a vote.]