In South Africa, an opinion column in Daily Maverick called on states to move to concrete action to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted in 2001 to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The author stresses that formal commitments to equality alone are insufficient to overcome the consequences of historical injustice.
Inequality persists
The column notes that structures and systems that foster racism, discrimination and xenophobia have still not been adequately dismantled. As an example, the author cites schools in many countries that predominantly serve racially marginalised communities and continue to lack sufficient funding and resources.
The author also draws attention to the spread of dehumanising rhetoric about people because of their race, nationality or origin. In his view, human rights are increasingly seen through a zero-sum lens — as if the progress of one group inevitably restricts the rights of another. This approach, the article says, turns human rights into a competition rather than a principle that strengthens the dignity of all people.
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Strategic litigation
The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, in the author’s assessment, should serve as a basis not only for condemning discrimination but also for demanding accountability, equality and access to rights at the national level. He names strategic litigation as one tool for such change.
The column cites as an example a case in Canada in which Amnesty International participated. An asylum seeker was excluded from a free childcare programme, which prevented her from working. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that excluding asylum seekers is discriminatory and unconstitutional. The author noted that the court ruling is only the beginning, as its impact depends on implementation and on combining legal victories with advocacy and other strategies for change.
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