About the Statement:

The Union Association for Human Rights delivered an oral statement during the General Debate under Item 9 at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council. The statement emphasized the necessity of guaranteeing equality before justice without discrimination, highlighting the dangers of discriminatory and racist practices, particularly those linked to law enforcement agencies and criminal justice systems. It also praised the UAE’s efforts in promoting justice, the rule of law, and combating all forms of institutional and societal discrimination.

Content of the Statement:

• The statement underscored the importance of states’ commitment to combating institutional racial discrimination, especially within law enforcement and judicial systems.
• It recalled the case of George Floyd as a global symbolic example exposing structural racism within certain judicial systems, while commending the Human Rights Council’s decision to hold an urgent debate on these violations and the need to address them.
• The statement highlighted the significance of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as an international framework that reinforces the commitment to eliminating racial discrimination and addressing its structural roots.
• It praised the UAE’s experience in:
  • Promoting a culture of human coexistence.
  • Combating discrimination, hatred, and xenophobia.
  • Ensuring its judicial and law enforcement institutions uphold justice and equality without discrimination.
  • Building a legal and societal framework that respects human dignity and strengthens the rule of law.

Importance of the statement:

• Highlighting the link between justice and racial discrimination: The statement stresses that the absence of equality before the courts constitutes a form of systemic racial discrimination and poses a direct threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
• Reaffirming states’ responsibility for institutional reform: The statement calls on states to conduct comprehensive legal and structural reviews of their criminal and policing systems to eliminate discriminatory practices.
• Reinforcing the Human Rights Council’s role in accountability: The statement values the Council’s efforts in convening urgent debates on racially motivated issues, strengthening international accountability, and preventing impunity.
• Showcasing the UAE as a model to follow: The statement presents the UAE as a successful regional and international example in promoting justice principles and its firm commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination and hatred in state institutions and society.