Online Consultation with Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism

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Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

To whom it many concern:

I have the honour to address you in my capacity as United Nations Special
Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 43/36. I write to invite
you to participate in in a civil society consultation in preparation for my next report to the
United Nations General Assembly, which will focus on climate justice, environmental
racism and racial equality and non-discrimination under international human rights law.

The report will build on the analysis in my 2019 report to the U.N. Human Rights
Council on “global extractivism and racial equality” (U.N. Doc. No. A/HRC/41/54).

In my report, I will analyze the link between racial justice and racial equality
and the urgent issues of climate change and environmental degradation. My aim is
to center the experiences and perspectives of racially and ethnically marginalized
groups, such as people of African and Asian descent, indigenous peoples, ethnic
minority groups, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, keeping in mind the
intersectional structures of marginalization which affect these groups.

I am partnering with the UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights to conduct two
online civil society consultations, which will bring together experts from civil society
organizations, grass-roots groups, human rights defenders and community advocates to
share testimony relevant to my report. These consultations will be streamed live for
other civil society advocates via Zoom and YouTube, and hosted on the Promise Institute
website. As such, all testimony given at the consultations will be public.

At the consultations, civil society representatives will be asked to give a 5-10
minute presentation on the links between racial inequality, climate change and
environmental degradation as seen in their work. I am especially interested in
testimony from advocates working on the frontlines of environmental harm, drought,
natural disasters, pollution, climate migration, rising sea levels and other outcomes which
disproportionately affect communities in the Global South or racially marginalized
communities in the Global North. Food sovereignty, climate/environmental apartheid,
forced migration/displacement, “sustainable” development, mining and other extractive
industries, corporate exploitation, land rights, indigenous autonomy, environmental
degradation during military occupation or conflict, and related issues are all within the
scope of my report.

I would be honoured if you would offer testimony at one of the two sessions.

With apologies, we will be unable to provide full, simultaneous interpretation of
the event into languages other than English due to resource constraints. However, we
are able to provide translation services for specific testimony given in a language other
than English. We are also able to accommodate pre-recorded or anonymized testimony
in certain circumstances.

To facilitate the contribution of experts from various geographic regions, the
online consultations will take place over two separate sessions on 20 July 2022,
2:30 AM – 5:30 AM coordinated universal time (UTC) and 20 July, 3:00 PM – 6:00
PM UTC. The objectives and scope of the consultations are outlined in the appended
concept note.

Please respond by “replying-all” to the email invitation from my staff (e-mails:
[email protected]; [email protected]) indicating whether you can attend and
which of the two sessions would be preferred. Please let us know as soon as possible
whether you would like to give testimony at the civil society expert consultation,
as we have a limited number of speaking slots available for each session. Should
you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours Sincerely,
E. Tendayi Achiume
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance

Online Consultation with Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism

Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

To whom it many concern:

I have the honour to address you in my capacity as United Nations Special
Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 43/36. I write to invite
you to participate in in a civil society consultation in preparation for my next report to the
United Nations General Assembly, which will focus on climate justice, environmental
racism and racial equality and non-discrimination under international human rights law.

The report will build on the analysis in my 2019 report to the U.N. Human Rights
Council on “global extractivism and racial equality” (U.N. Doc. No. A/HRC/41/54).

In my report, I will analyze the link between racial justice and racial equality
and the urgent issues of climate change and environmental degradation. My aim is
to center the experiences and perspectives of racially and ethnically marginalized
groups, such as people of African and Asian descent, indigenous peoples, ethnic
minority groups, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, keeping in mind the
intersectional structures of marginalization which affect these groups.

I am partnering with the UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights to conduct two
online civil society consultations, which will bring together experts from civil society
organizations, grass-roots groups, human rights defenders and community advocates to
share testimony relevant to my report. These consultations will be streamed live for
other civil society advocates via Zoom and YouTube, and hosted on the Promise Institute
website. As such, all testimony given at the consultations will be public.

At the consultations, civil society representatives will be asked to give a 5-10
minute presentation on the links between racial inequality, climate change and
environmental degradation as seen in their work. I am especially interested in
testimony from advocates working on the frontlines of environmental harm, drought,
natural disasters, pollution, climate migration, rising sea levels and other outcomes which
disproportionately affect communities in the Global South or racially marginalized
communities in the Global North. Food sovereignty, climate/environmental apartheid,
forced migration/displacement, “sustainable” development, mining and other extractive
industries, corporate exploitation, land rights, indigenous autonomy, environmental
degradation during military occupation or conflict, and related issues are all within the
scope of my report.

I would be honoured if you would offer testimony at one of the two sessions.

With apologies, we will be unable to provide full, simultaneous interpretation of
the event into languages other than English due to resource constraints. However, we
are able to provide translation services for specific testimony given in a language other
than English. We are also able to accommodate pre-recorded or anonymized testimony
in certain circumstances.

To facilitate the contribution of experts from various geographic regions, the
online consultations will take place over two separate sessions on 20 July 2022,
2:30 AM – 5:30 AM coordinated universal time (UTC) and 20 July, 3:00 PM – 6:00
PM UTC. The objectives and scope of the consultations are outlined in the appended
concept note.

Please respond by “replying-all” to the email invitation from my staff (e-mails:
[email protected]; [email protected]) indicating whether you can attend and
which of the two sessions would be preferred. Please let us know as soon as possible
whether you would like to give testimony at the civil society expert consultation,
as we have a limited number of speaking slots available for each session. Should
you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours Sincerely,
E. Tendayi Achiume
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance

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