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Welcome to the draft programme of work for the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

This page provides detailed information about the main sessions and side events, including times, locations, and speakers

For any questions or further information, please feel free to contact the Permanent Forum Secretariat at [email protected]


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Tuesday, April 14
 

12:00am CEST

Side event - Durban +25: Servicios públicos, mujeres afrodescendientes y justicia reparadora para un mundo sin racismo
Tuesday April 14, 2026 12:00am - 1:00am CEST
Evento paralelo: 
“Durban +25: Servicios públicos, mujeres afrodescendientes y justicia reparadora para un mundo sin racismo”

Fecha, hora y zona horaria: 14 de Abril  a las 19:00 hrs de Argentina / Brasil / Chile / Uruguay  / 17:00 hrs de Costa Rica /Panamá

Organización(es) o entidad(es) patrocinadora(s):  Comité contra el Racismo, la Discriminacion y la Xenofobia - Afrodescendientes Conosur de la ISP (Internacional de Servicios Públicos)

Idioma(s) en el que se celebrará el evento paralelo: Español

Descripción del evento paralelo: Durban +25: Servicios públicos, mujeres afrodescendientes y justicia reparadora para un mundo sin racismo”, como espacio de diálogo político-sindical para analizar avances y desafíos frente al racismo estructural. Se abordarán desigualdades en servicios públicos, subrepresentación en el empleo estatal e impacto de la IA, con foco en mujeres afrodescendientes y personas migrantes así como el papel del sindicalismo en la promoción de la igualdad, la justicia reparadora y la erradicación de toda forma de discriminación.

Participan:
-Senadora de Uruguay Mae Susana Andrade
-Directora de AfroLeaders - IAl la Dra Nathalie Cooke,Comité Subregional Conosur - Combate al racismo, la discriminacion, la xenofobia - Afrodescendiente de la ISP
- Tamara Barbará Presidente del COSOC-SERMIG
-Michel-Ange JOSEPH

Modera: Olga Fernandez (UPCN - Argentina) Cierre y reflexión final: Andrea Betegon (Fenasep - Panama) y Erika Ayala (FENAJE - Ecuador)

Lugar del evento: En línea (Zoom) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82931710400?pwd=nfwLCeKvDzmoneHb3VJRyhA638Jjq5.1

Nombre y dirección de correo electrónico de la persona organizadora principal: Tamara Barbará e-mail: [email protected]

Enlace web para obtener más información: @ispracismo @afrosapl


Tuesday April 14, 2026 12:00am - 1:00am CEST
Online

9:00am CEST

Side event - Building Together (Kujenga Pamoja): From Foundational Pathways to Sustainable Institutional Mechanisms for People of African Descent
                       Permanent Forum on People of African Descent – Fifth Session

Title of the side event:  Building Together (Kujenga Pamoja): From Foundational Pathways to Sustainable Institutional Mechanisms for People of African Descent

Proposed date and time: Tuesday 14 of April from 9:00 to 10:00 AM

Location: Room III, building A, Palais des Nations

Sponsoring organization: Caribbean African Canadian (CAFCAN) Social Services

Language(s) in which the side event will be held: English (with potential French participation and translation)

Description of the side event (no more than 100 words) 
Marking 25 years since the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, this side event examines foundational pathways for building sustainable national institutional mechanisms for people of African descent. Using Canada’s Kujenga Pamoja initiative—supporting the establishment of the Canadian Institute for People of Afrikan Ancestry (CIPAA)—as a case study, the session will explore how Black-led, evidence-based initiatives can evolve into lasting institutions. The initiative reflects a community-driven approach led by civil society and supported through engagement with government institutions to advance the objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent. The discussion aims to inform the Permanent Forum’s work on strengthening mechanisms advancing recognition, justice and development.

Name and email address of the lead organizer
Caribbean African Canadian (CAFCAN) Social Services
[email protected]
 
Lead organizer contact
Floydeen Charles-Fridal
Email – [email protected]
Phone: 416-919-4211
Address: 995 Arrow Road, North York
M9M 2Z9 ON, Canada
Website: www.cafcan.org
Permission to publish contact details: Yes
Visual material: To be shared subsequently.
Weblink for any further information
https://cafcan.org/cipaa/
Tuesday April 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CEST
Room III - Building A, Palais des Nations 8, Av. de la Paix 14, 1202 Genève

10:00am CEST

Opening of the 5th session (Items 1 - 3)
Item 1: Opening of the session
Item 2: Appointment of Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur of the Permanent Forum
Item 3: Adoption of the agenda and programme of work
Speakers
avatar for Annalena Baerbock

Annalena Baerbock

President of the United Nations General Assembly
Ambassador Annalena Baerbock served as Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs from December 2021 until May 2025. Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for the multilateral system with the United Nations at its core.She was an elected member of the German Parliament... Read More →
avatar for António Guterres

António Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General
António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017.
Having witnessed the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, from refugee camps to war zones, the Secretary-General has centered his efforts on ensuring human dignity for all.  In a period of unprecedented global challenges, he has drawn on his commitment to the UN Charter... Read More →
avatar for Volker Türk

Volker Türk

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mr. Türk is the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He took up his official functions as High Commissioner on 17 October 2022.He has devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the international protection of some... Read More →
avatar for Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro

Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro

President of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Ambassador Sidharto R. Suryodipuro was appointed by President Prabowo Subianto of the Republic of Indonesia on 25 August 2025 as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other International Organisations in Geneva. He was elected by the Human Rights... Read More →
Tuesday April 14, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CEST
Assembly Hall, building A, Palais des Nations Av. de la Paix 8-14, 1211 Genève

11:00am CEST

Item 4: General Debate

Tuesday April 14, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CEST
Assembly Hall, building A, Palais des Nations Av. de la Paix 8-14, 1211 Genève

12:45pm CEST

Side event - Rewrite the Equation: Black Women as Architects of the Global Economy
Side Event Proposal
Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, Fifth Session, Geneva, April 2026

Title of the side event:
Rewrite the Equation: Black Women as Architects of the Global Economy

Date, time and time zone of side event:
Tuesday 14 April from 12:45 to 13:45 hrs.
Room III, building A, Palais des Nations

Sponsoring organization(s) or entity/ies:
Boss Women Institute Inc. (Canada) and La Passerelle I.D.É. — Intégration et Développement Économique (Canada/Paris)

Language(s) in which the side event will be held:
English and French (bilingual delivery)

Description of the side event (no more than 100 words):
Black women represent the fastest-growing entrepreneurial force globally, yet remain structurally excluded from capital systems, governance institutions, and international economic decision-making. This side event, co-convened by Boss Women Institute and La Passerelle, reframes Black women’s entrepreneurship not as survival but as economic architecture. Anchored in the Durban Declaration and the Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034), the session introduces the Sovereignty Framework™, linking governance literacy, capital system reform, and diaspora institutional infrastructure. The event produces concrete bilingual policy recommendations advancing the economic inclusion and institutional recognition of women of African descent.

Location of the side event: Room III
Palais des Nations UN Geneva, Switzerland.

Full event details and registration: bosswomeninstitute.com/geneva26

Name and email address of the lead organizer:
Nadine Spencer, Boss Women Institute Inc.

nadine@bosswomeninstitute.com[email protected]

Optional: Weblink for any further information:
bosswomeninstitute.com/geneva26




Tuesday April 14, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm CEST
Room III - Building A, Palais des Nations 8, Av. de la Paix 14, 1202 Genève

2:00pm CEST

Side event - Foro @5: De cara al 2do Decenio de los Afrodescendientes
Foro @5: De cara al 2do Decenio de los Afrodescendientes

Contexto
El Foro Permanente sobre los Afrodescendientes (PFPAD), establecido por las Naciones Unidas como mecanismo consultivo para promover el pleno respeto, protección y cumplimiento de los derechos humanos de las personas afrodescendientes, cumple cinco años en un contexto global caracterizado por la persistencia del racismo estructural, las desigualdades sistémicas y la exclusión histórica de estas poblaciones.

A pesar de avances normativos y de visibilidad en la agenda internacional, las personas afrodescendientes continúan enfrentando barreras significativas en el acceso a la justicia, el desarrollo, la participación política y el reconocimiento pleno de sus derechos. En este escenario, el balance del PFPAD resulta crucial para evaluar su impacto real como espacio de incidencia y su capacidad para traducir recomendaciones en transformaciones concretas.

Asimismo, el inicio del segundo Decenio Internacional de los Afrodescendientes de las Naciones Unidas plantea una oportunidad estratégica para redefinir prioridades, fortalecer mecanismos de implementación y consolidar alianzas entre Estados, sociedad civil y organismos internacionales. Este nuevo ciclo exige un enfoque renovado que incorpore de manera transversal la interseccionalidad, particularmente en relación con género, territorio y condiciones socioeconómicas, así como una mayor atención a las dinámicas regionales.

Objetivo
El evento tiene como objetivo generar un espacio de diálogo para analizar los principales logros y desafíos del PFPAD en sus primeros cinco años, así como identificar prioridades y recomendaciones estratégicas de cara al segundo Decenio Internacional de los Afrodescendientes. Se busca contribuir al fortalecimiento del mandato del Foro y a la consolidación de una agenda global más efectiva para la promoción de los derechos de las personas afrodescendientes.

Contenido y enfoque
El panel abordará, desde una perspectiva crítica e interseccional, los avances alcanzados por el PFPAD en áreas como la incidencia normativa, la visibilización de las problemáticas que enfrentan las comunidades afrodescendientes y la generación de espacios de diálogo internacional. Al mismo tiempo, se analizarán los desafíos persistentes, incluyendo la limitada implementación de recomendaciones, la articulación con actores locales, y las brechas en el acceso a recursos y mecanismos de seguimiento.

Asimismo, se discutirán las oportunidades que ofrece el segundo Decenio para fortalecer la cooperación internacional, promover la justicia reparadora, avanzar en el reconocimiento de los aportes culturales y sociales de las personas afrodescendientes, y garantizar la participación efectiva de las comunidades en los procesos de toma de decisiones.

Agenda

Título:             Foro @5: De cara al 2do Decenio de los Afrodescendientes

Fecha y hora: Martes, 14 de abril de 2026, 14:00 – 15:00 (hora local)

Modalidad:      Evento presencial

Lugar:            Salon XI, edificio A, Palacio de las Naciones - Ginebra, Suiza


Interpretación: Espanol - Ingles

Organizan:
  • Iepé – Instituto de Pesquisa e Formação Indígena (organización con estatus ECOSOC)
  • Raza e Igualdad
 
Agenda preliminar:

14:00 – 14:05: Palabras de apertura y contextualización (Rodnei Jericó da Silva (Raza e Igualdad))
14:05 – 14:12: Experiencias y balance desde Brasil - Lúcia Xavier (CRIOLA
14:12 – 14:20: Perspectivas de género y juventud desde la sociedad civil afrodescendiente - Alejandra Pretel (RMAAD)
14:20 – 14:27: Experiencias desde Cuba y contexto actual  - Yanelys Núñez (El Obserbatorio de Género de Alas Tensas)
14:27 – 14:35:  Articulación regional y desafíos estructurales - Nathalie Cook (ALDA)
14:35 – 14:42: Balance del PFPAD a cinco años: avances y limitaciones - Pastor Murillo Experto, PFPAD
14:42 – 14:50: Reflexiones estratégicas - Carlos Quesada (Raza e Igualdad)
14:50- 15:00: Preguntas y respuestas - Público
15:00: Cierre - Organización

Resultados esperados
Se espera que el evento genere recomendaciones concretas orientadas a fortalecer el mandato del PFPAD, mejorar la implementación de sus resultados y posicionar prioridades clave para el segundo Decenio Internacional de los Afrodescendientes. Asimismo, se busca contribuir a la construcción de una agenda más inclusiva, efectiva y centrada en las necesidades y demandas de las comunidades afrodescendientes a nivel global.

Tuesday April 14, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CEST
Room XI, building A, Palais des Nations 8, Av. de la Paix 14, 1202 Genève

2:00pm CEST

Special event - Truth, Justice and Healing: Community-Rooted Pathways to Reparatory Justice for People of African Descent
Title of the Side Event: Truth, Justice and Healing: Community-Rooted Pathways to Reparatory Justice for People of African Descent
Date, Time and Time Zone: Tuesday 14 April from 2:00 to 3:00 pm

Theme: 25 years after the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action: Strengthening global solidarity with people of African descent

Sponsoring organizations:
  • UNESCO Rights, Inclusion and Dialogue Section
  • Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace,
  • New York City Commission on Racial Equity (NYC CORE)

Language: English

Location: Room III, Building A, Palais des Nations

Description of the event: 


25 years after Durban, reparatory justice requires more than policy reform. Inclusive participation, cultural memory, truth-telling, collective healing, and restorative economic measures, are key. Bringing together UNESCO’s Rights, Inclusion and Dialogue Section’s Collective Healing Initiative and its Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme with the New York City Commission on Racial Equity, we explore how community-rooted practices can inform global reparatory justice. By connecting local truth, healing, and development efforts with international frameworks, the panel will discuss how people of African descent shape culturally meaningful historically-grounded pathways of repair and solidarity, oriented towards justice, dignity, solidarity, inclusive growth, and durable transformation.

Speakers and Moderator: 
  • Speaker: Peter Flegel, Senior Expert, UNESCO Rights, Inclusion and Dialogue Section
  • Speaker: Prof Ola Osman, University of Cambridge / Advisory Board, UNESCO Collective Healing Initiative
  • Speaker: Linda Tigani, Chair/Executive Director, New York City Commission on Racial Equity
  • Moderator: Prof Scherto Gill, Director, Global Humanity for Peace Institute.

Contact details of organizers:
- Prof Scherto Gill, Coordinator, UNESCO Collective Healing Initiative   Email: [email protected]
- Linda Tigani, Chair/Executive Director, NYC CORE
   Email: [email protected]
Tuesday April 14, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CEST
Room III - Building A, Palais des Nations 8, Av. de la Paix 14, 1202 Genève

2:00pm CEST

Side event - Afro-Brazilian civil society assesses the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action — examining structural racism, racial justice, and the rights of people of African descent in Braziltion and Platform of Action

Afro-Brazilian civil society assesses the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action — examining structural racism, racial justice, and the rights of people of African descent in Brazil

📅 DATE: April 14th, 2026
GENEVA TIME: 14:00 — 15:30 UTC+2 (CEST); BRAZIL TIME: 09:00 — 10:30 (BRT)
📍 LOCATION: Conference room at ISHR (International Service for Human Rights) - Rue de Varembé 1, 5th floor, Geneva, Switzerland, or Online (Zoom)
🌐 LANGUAGES: Brazilian Portuguese and English
🔗 RSVP: http://bit.ly/4cxhvTO | Please confirm by April 13th. Spots are limited for both Zoom and in-person participation.

PANEL OF SPEAKERS

Paulo Lugon – Coordinator of the Europe Brazil Office and Executive Director of the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights (Brazil)

Sara Branco – Coordinator of the International Advocacy Department at the Peregum Black Reference Institute (Brazil)

Andréia Coutinho – Executive Director of the Brazilian Center for Climate Justice (Brazil)

Ronan Lima – Coordinator of the Martin Luther King Jr. Program – Black Evangelical Movement of Brazil (Brazil)

Thuane Nascimento
– Executive Director of PerifaConnection (Brazil)

MODERATOR

Manuela Thamani – Executive Director of the Observatory of Whiteness (Brazil)

NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING:

Katharine Trajano (secretary of the Coalizão Negra por Direitos/Black Coalition For Rights): [email protected]



Tuesday April 14, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CEST
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) Rue de Varembé 1, 5th floor, Geneva, Switzerland

3:00pm CEST

Item 4: General Debate (Continued)

Tuesday April 14, 2026 3:00pm - 6:00pm CEST
Assembly Hall, building A, Palais des Nations Av. de la Paix 8-14, 1211 Genève
 

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