WHAT WE DO
DISMANTLING OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS
UNARC is an international coalition created and led by Africans and people of African descent. It addresses the ongoing oppression and killing of black people around the world due to global anti-Blackness and the histories of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
The coalition operates with the premise that communities and advocates on the ground in various countries around the world are the experts on what is needed to materially change their conditions day-to-day. Our work is to ensure that there is mutual support for advocates and to connect them with the UN which can have a significant impact on how the issue is approached on-the-ground and what standards are set.
The Coalition's Focus
This coalition’s work is focused on three United Nations bodies: UNHRC, EMLER, and OHCHR (learn about them below). The coalition was instrumental in the creation of the new mechanism (EMLER) that has specific and unique powers within the UN space with a mandate to solely focus on systemic racism and police violence against Africans and people of African descent, and mandating OHCHR to continue its work globally towards transformative change for racial justice and equality.
HOW TO
JOIN UNARC
HOW TO
JOIN UNARC
Our coalition is free to join and there is no required time commitment. Our goal is to make engagement as easy and accessible as possible. The only requirement is a one-on-one meeting with a team member to learn about your work and to share information about UNARC.
Our coalition is free to join and there is no required time commitment. Our goal is to make engagement as easy and accessible as possible. The only requirement is a one-on-one meeting with a team member to learn about your work and to share information about UNARC.
Our Goals
Our goals are to make this new mechanism as effective as it can possibly be to affect concrete changes by working closely with the experts to ensure that the voices of civil society are heard. Our goals are also to make sure that communities have access to human rights tools in their own work. We implement these goals by engaging in the following activities:
1.
Demystifying the United Nations and its processes.
The United Nations can serve as a great tool for grassroots groups, however, the UN itself can be quite a confusing place. The coalition provides a space for mutual learning and support in navigating advocacy at the UN.
2.
Language Access is a core value of the coalition.
All meetings are conducted in the four languages that most Africans and people of African Descent speak across the globe which is Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English. For example, the UN has six official languages and Portuguese is not one of them, so we provide additional interpretation support for private meetings with UN bodies.
3.
We facilitate access for impacted communities to speak directly to UN officials. At these events, UN experts respond directly to communities about the issues that they have raised.
4.
UNARC members develop reports about the human rights violations perpetrated by police and the state against Africans and people of African descent as well as about the effects of systemic racism on communities which are subsequently submitted to the UN experts to inform their outputs.
5.
Every year, EMLER selects countries to visit in order to examine the human rights situation of Africans and people of African Descent experiencing harm due to systemic racism and police violence. Their first country visit was to Sweden in Oct/Nov 2022 and they have indicated that they are seeking visits to Brazil and the United States. EMLER also conducts regional visits. Their first regional visit will be to South America where they will convene meetings with advocates and governments from 10 countries in Chile.
6.
This activity provides opportunities for members to speak directly to their governments in an international human rights forum.
7.
Creating a network
Creating a network and community for mutual support, healing, and information sharing.
8.
We provide small grants for human rights campaigns for grassroots groups globally.
Learn more about the UN EXPERT MECHANISM
Find out information about EMLER, the United Nations Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement. UNARC works closely with our members to support their effective engagement with this mechanism.
OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)
The Human Rights Office is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nations that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The office was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 1993 in the wake of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (UNHRC):
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.
It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.
Building a Global Movement
Building a Global Movement
Building a Global Movement
