The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on Washington to take measures to curb "systematic racism" in the U.S., after observing a "significant increase" in hate crimes against racial minorities.
After the Committee analyzed the situation in the U.S. in August, it expressed concern about the increase in these crimes involving African-American, indigenous, Hispanic and Asian victims, as well as the proliferation of racist propaganda on the Internet and social networks.
According to EFE news agency, the UN agency also denounced the increase in "activities promoted by violent groups including white supremacist organizations", and the tendency of security forces not to report them to the FBI, in a context in which such reports are voluntary and various groups that incite racial hatred are not prohibited.
The committee's report, published on August 30, also criticizes the absence of a national plan to combat systemic and structural discrimination in the United States, as well as the lack of progress in establishing a coordination mechanism to ensure compliance with the International Convention Against Racism.
In this sense, he detailed that there is an increase in firearm aggressions in the country, which disproportionately affects ethnic minorities, a situation that he calls for counteracting with measures such as the prohibition of assault weapons or the establishment of more gun controls in public places.
The Committee also criticized the continued practice of racial profiling to coordinate the actions of U.S. security forces, even though the government itself acknowledged to the UN that it is "illegal and ineffective".
In this regard, CERD members reiterated their concern about "the brutality and use of lethal force by members of the security forces against members of minorities," as well as in protests in defense of their rights, and abusive practices against them by police at customs and border posts.
Members of affected minorities are also "disproportionately detained, imprisoned, subjected to solitary confinement for long periods, or subjected to chemical agents such as pepper spray," in addition to receiving harsher sentences, they said.
With information from EFE.
This publication was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
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