Combating Afrophobia, or anti-Black racism, in Europe
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 24 June 2021 (22nd sitting) (see Doc. 15306, report of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination,
rapporteur: Mr Momodou Malcolm Jallow). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 24 June 2021 (22nd sitting).
1. Afrophobia, or anti-Black racism,
is a form of racism that targets people of African descent and Black people
and manifests itself through acts of direct, indirect and institutional
discrimination, as well as violence, including hate speech. Based
on socially constructed ideas of “race” and reflecting the groundless
belief that certain “racial” groups are biologically or culturally
inferior to others, Afrophobia seeks to dehumanise and deny the
dignity of its victims.
2. In spite of national anti-discrimination legislation and policies
and the international human rights obligations of Council of Europe
member States, racism, including Afrophobia, is still rife in Europe.
3. An estimated 15 million people of African descent and Black
Europeans are part of the population of our continent, either as
migrants or as members of families established for generations.
They come from all walks of life and have contributed to Europe’s
development and culture for centuries. Their contribution is not adequately
recognised and even the numerical size of this group is not acknowledged,
due to data collection regulations in some countries that do not
take into consideration ethnic origin. This lack of data hinders
the design, implementation and assessment of anti-discrimination
measures.
4. In 2020, the tragic death of George Floyd as a result of police
violence, followed by widespread protests on both sides of the Atlantic,
and the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people
of African descent and Black people (among other vulnerable minorities)
have sparked new awareness among Europeans of the extent and severity
of Afrophobia. Increased public awareness and strong support for
anti-racist protests from political leaders at national and European
levels have opened a window of opportunity that should be seized
without hesitation.
5. The Parliamentary Assembly observes that racism is rooted
in colonial history and that the injustice of colonisation and enslavement
is still reflected in today’s structural and institutional discrimination
against people of African descent in Europe. Racism, including Afrophobia
or anti-Black racism, fatally undermines the mission and core values
of the Council of Europe and eradicating it must be an absolute
priority for the Organisation and its member States.
6. The Assembly highlights the need to adopt an intersectional
approach and to address the unique forms of discrimination faced
by people of African descent in relation to intersecting grounds
for discrimination including age, disability, gender, religion,
sexual orientation and gender identity.
7. The Assembly reiterates that public figures, including politicians,
have an important role to play in combating racism in all its forms,
and firmly condemns the use of xenophobic and racist rhetoric and propaganda,
particularly in public and political discourse. A proactive and
concerted effort is required to counter racism, including Afrophobia;
remaining silent in the face of its manifestations can only perpetuate
inequality and discrimination.
8. The Assembly stresses that education is key to combating racism
and that the cultural sector, including traditional and online media,
should embrace diversity and promote a culture of inclusion that
firmly rejects racism and xenophobia.
9. The Assembly recalls its
Resolution 1968 (2014) “Tackling
racism in the police” and, most recently,
Resolution 2364 (2021) “Ethnic profiling
in Europe: a matter of great concern”, in which it called on member States
to take determined action against ethnic profiling through a range
of measures, including by ensuring diversity in the recruitment
of police officers so as to reflect the diversity of the population,
as well as
Resolution 2339
(2020) “Upholding human rights in times of crisis and
pandemics: gender, equality and non-discrimination”, which highlighted
that people of African descent, among others, have been disproportionately affected
by the Covid-19 pandemic due to persisting inequalities.
10. The Assembly supports the International Decade for People
of African Descent 2015-2024 proclaimed by the United Nations and
supports the activities of its relevant specialised bodies and special
procedures, particularly at European level. It welcomes the adoption
by the European Commission of its Anti-racism action plan 2020-2025.
11. The Assembly commends the work of the European Commission
against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), reiterates its full support
to the commission and highlights the need for Council of Europe
member States to effectively implement its standards.
12. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
the Council of Europe member States to take determined action to
eradicate Afrophobia, or anti-Black racism, and all other forms
of racism and to:
12.1 recognise
Afrophobia, or anti-Black racism, as a specific form of racism;
12.2 endeavour to recognise the legacy and negative impact
of colonialism, enslavement and the transatlantic slave trade and
consider introducing reparation schemes and establishing ad hoc
truth commissions to this end;
12.3 develop national action plans to counter racism, involving
people of African descent and Black Europeans in the design, implementation
and evaluation of measures; action plans should address structural
discrimination, including at institutional level, and multiple and
intersectional discrimination, in all areas, including employment,
political representation and policing, as well as access to justice,
goods and services, healthcare, housing and quality education;
12.4 raise public awareness of racism, including Afrophobia
or anti-Black racism, by organising or supporting relevant campaigns
and activities, including events such as the African Week organised annually
in Brussels or initiatives like the Black History Month currently
observed in Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as
well as cultural activities in libraries, archives and museums that
empower people of African descent and Black people and acknowledge
their positive contribution to Europe’s culture, economy and society;
12.5 ensure that colonial history is part of school curricula,
as well as teaching about the historical presence and contribution
of people of African descent in Europe;
12.6 ensure that the negative and stereotypical portrayal of
people of African descent is removed from educational material and
from the media, including news and advertising;
12.7 adopt positive action policies to close gaps in the enjoyment
by people of African descent of socio-economic rights, particularly
as regards access to education, employment, housing and healthcare;
12.8 collect equality data, disaggregated by ethnic origin,
based on self-identification, anonymity and informed consent;
12.9 support civil society organisations active in the area
of anti-racism and ensure they have adequate access to public funding;
12.10 support human rights defenders who work to combat Afrophobia;
protect them from violence, including hate speech, harassment and
physical attacks; conduct prompt investigations into such incidents;
and prosecute those responsible.
13. The Assembly invites national parliaments to:
13.1 encourage the creation of caucuses
and “parliamentary intergroups” representing people of African descent
within elected bodies at national and European levels;
13.2 ensure that rules of procedures and ethical codes prohibit
the use of racist and xenophobic language, with adequate disciplinary
sanctions for non-compliance;
13.3 support the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, its mandate
and operation.
14. The Assembly supports the initiative to update and relaunch
the Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society
as a tool for combating racism and hate speech, and for promoting
political representation of racialised groups, including people
of African descent.
