Days, Years, Decades, and Conferences on Racial Discrimination

Abstract

Abstract The United Nations has declared a series of days, years, and decades devoted to racial discrimination and related issues. These involve a range of initiatives, from seminars and conferences to the issuance of postage stamps. Three world conferences on racism and racial discrimination have been held, of which the 2001 Durban Conference was the most important. In the post-apartheid context, the Durban Declaration confronted the issue of historic injustice and the entitlement to reparations for slavery, the slave trade, and colonialism. Initiatives dealing with racial discrimination have also emerged from regional organizations, notably the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Organization of American States.