EU Statement - HRC60 - Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

EU Statement - HRC60 - Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

60^th session

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

1 October 2025

EU statement

Mr Chair,

Thank you for the presentation of the proceedings of the fourth session of the Permanent Forum. As always, the European Union took part with great interest. There were many different topics touched upon, that evidence clearly the complexity of the task before us, fighting all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The EU particularly welcomed the focus on experiences of women and girls. Racial prejudices targeting Black women and women of colour continue to exist today, negatively impacting their well-being and undermining their dignity. It is for this reason that the EU is committed to combat multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including on the basis of race. The EU will continue to deepen its understanding of racism and develop more effective gender-responsive actions. This is also part of the work EUROSTAT is doing, with a task force that is focused on disaggregation of data on equality and anti-discrimination. Gender-responsive data is a key step towards more focused actions.

The session of the Permanent Forum also dissected the challenges arising from new technologies and AI, which may negatively affect the right to non-discrimination, given biases in algorithms. The EU regulatory framework for AI prohibits the use of AI for predictive policing based on profiling.

We furthermore underlined that we remain committed to addressing negative legacies of a troubled past, including conquest, slavery and slave trade. We believe that progress should be made based on wide consensus on these issues.

I thank you.