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Discrimination Haunts UNHRC

Geneva, Mar 21 (Prensa Latina) The International Day of Struggle against Racism was commemorated in the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC).

The UN special raporteur against all kinds of discrimination, Doudou Diene, said there is still a lot to do in favor of cultural diversity and against human segregation due to religion, sex, skin color and other reasons.

After his speech there was an interactive dialogue in which delegates from Guatemala and Honduras said that despite laws for full integration of the indigenous peoples, the Central American States lack resources to make it effective.

Cuban representative Juan Antonio Fernandez recalled that the 60th anniversary of the victory over fascism will be commemorated this year, which will happen when movements and parties with that reactionary ideology are arising in Europe and the United States. He also called for education about exclusion of the African-American population in the last two electoral processes.

The Libyan ambassador denounced restrictions on workers who are immigrants of Muslim origin. Those who travel wearing beard have to be searched with metal detectors, while women wearing veils are insulted in European streets, she said.

Raporteur Peter Lesa Kasanda from Ethiopia criticized the delay in relation to the agreement of Durban´s Conference and demanded more resources for organizations that are confronting racial discrimination.

China went to the heart of the matter and addressed the causes of discrimination. "We have to eradicate poverty," said Beijing´s ambassador, who called upon wealthy countries to contribute to reducing the gap between the rich and the dispossessed.

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