Fifth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Panel #1: 25 years after the Durban Declaration and Programme and Action: Strengthening global solidarity with people of African descent

The panel will take place on Wednesday 15 April from 10:00 to 13:00.

The DDPA remains the most comprehensive global framework for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.

Since its adoption, States have reaffirmed their commitment to the DDPA through political declarations adopted at its tenth and twentieth anniversaries. The importance of practical and targeted measures, including data collection, national action plans, education, and access to justice, along with the acknowledgement that evolving global challenges increasingly shape the lived experiences of people of African descent has been emphasized. At the same time, twenty-five years after its adoption, gaps in implementation persist, particularly in addressing systemic and structural racism, pointing to the need for renewed, sustained, and coordinated action.

Against this backdrop, this panel will take stock of progress and challenges in the implementation of the DDPA at the national, regional, and international levels, with a focus on its relevance for people of African descent in the framework of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent. The discussion will explore how the DDPA can be taken forward as a practical and relevant framework by strengthening implementation, follow-up, and accountability, while also contributing to mobilizing global public support for its full and effective implementation and strengthening global solidarity with people of African descent. The panel will further consider linkages with ongoing processes, including the elaboration of a draft UN declaration on the respect, protection, and fulfilment of the human rights of people of African descent, and global calls for reparatory justice.


PFPAD5 Concept note (English | Français | Español | Português)

Panel #2: Reparatory justice and cultural heritage: museums and restitution


The panel will take place on Wednesday 15 April from 15:00 to 18:00.

Reparatory justice has emerged as a central demand in addressing the enduring legacies of enslavement, colonialism, apartheid, and systemic racism affecting people of African descent. These historical injustices have produced structural inequalities that continue to shape access to resources, opportunities, and the enjoyment of human rights across generations. As many museums continue to hold artifacts that were stolen or appropriated during these periods, the restitution of cultural heritage has become a critical component of reparatory justice. Some action has been initiated at national, regional and international levels, including OHCHR recommendations, General Assembly resolutions on the return or restitution of cultural property,1 the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which emphasizes the importance of cultural heritage for identity, dignity, and sustainable development, further practical action is needed.

Returning looted or appropriated artifacts and ensuring inclusive narratives are essential steps toward acknowledging past wrongs, restoring dignity, and promoting equity for affected communities. Therefore, this panel will examine restitution not only as a normative or technical matter, but as a substantive issue linked to historical justice and reparations, cultural continuity, and intergenerational rights. It will also reflect on the evolving role of museums and approaches to cooperation, and consider how discussions on cultural heritage and restitution can contribute to shaping the content of the United Nations declaration on the respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of people of African descent, drawing from the programme of activities of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent.


PFPAD5 Concept note (English | Français | Español | Português)
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1. See A/RES/79/133; A/HRC/47/53