The United Nations Human Rights Council agreed Monday to debate the allegations of systemic racism and police brutality in the United States.
“It is time for the United Nations to step up & act decisively to help end systemic racism against people of African descent & other minority groups.”
— UN Senior African leaders on role of the UN in efforts to #FightRacism. https://t.co/fUUHD6T7GD pic.twitter.com/N9DBuYpch9
— United Nations (@UN) June 15, 2020
The decision came at the request of Burkina Faso on behalf of African countries after the death of George Floyd, according to Reuters. (RELATED: Starbucks To Let Employees Wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ Attire After Originally Banning It)
“We think it is a moment to really discuss this issue, as you have seen with the demonstrations all over Europe, including here in Geneva,” said Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, Austria’s ambassador and president of the Council, per Reuters.
The United States is not a member of the 47-nation forum in Geneva as the country quit two years ago after it was alleged that the country favored Israel in negotiations, said Reuters. The African group said “The death of George Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated incident. The numbers of previous cases of unarmed people of African descent who met the same fate because of uncontrolled police violence are legion,” in a letter obtained by Reuters.
The letter also stated that 600 activist groups and relatives of victims had called for a special session last week, according to Reuters. “This is a topic which is not just about one country, it goes well beyond that,” Tichy-Fisslberger said in a news conference, per Reuters.