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The UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement on Wednesday urged Belgium to tackle the issue of ongoing systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent.
Experts in the independent organization stated that systemic racism continues to torment Africans and people of African descent in the form of racial profiling and police brutality. The body of experts claimed that practices such as the existence of a specialized police watchdog outside of the executive power and an internal police control body are pivotal in addressing racism. Despite this, such mechanisms lack the independence, transparency, and enforcement power necessary to effectively mitigate systemic abuses.
UN expert Tracie Keesee said, “It is a legacy of enslavement and colonialism, whose long-lasting impacts continue to be felt today. Belgium must continue to take concrete steps towards reparatory justice by confronting the legacies of its history”.
Experts have also highlighted the issue of overcrowding in prisons, with the overrepresentation of Africans, people of African descent, and individuals of foreign origin in the prison population. Currently, the absence of a broad public conversation about racial discrimination in contemporary Belgian society is reflected in the continued presence of memorials honouring King Leopold II, a symbol of Belgium’s deep complicity in atrocities committed in Africa. Although King Phillipe of Belgium formally apologized in a 2020 letter to Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi for his country’s complicity in colonial-era violence, critics argue that there is still more to be done.
According to a report released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 45 percent of respondents stated that they had experienced an increase in racial discrimination, with 34 percent of respondents agreeing that they faced significant hurdles due to racial profiling when looking for a job. The same report also outlined complaints from parents stating that their children were subject to racial abuse at school, prompting a large number of young people of African descent to leave school earlier compared to their counterparts. In December 2024, the Brussels Court of Appeal delivered a monumental decision, recognizing that the kidnapping of mixed-race children from their African mothers in former Belgian colonies, constituted a crime against humanity.
As of now, the main legislations that govern the framework of anti-discrimination in Belgium which are Laws of 10 May 2007 and Law of 30 July 1981, which enshrine protections against various forms of discrimination but still face challenges in fully addressing inequalities. The recent effects of the 2023 Federal Parliament adoption of a law proposal to further improve protection against discrimination remain to be seen.
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Experts in the independent organization stated that systemic racism continues to torment Africans and people of African descent in the form of racial profiling and police brutality. The body of experts claimed that practices such as the existence of a specialized police watchdog outside of the executive power and an internal police control body are pivotal in addressing racism. Despite this, such mechanisms lack the independence, transparency, and enforcement power necessary to effectively mitigate systemic abuses.
UN expert Tracie Keesee said, “It is a legacy of enslavement and colonialism, whose long-lasting impacts continue to be felt today. Belgium must continue to take concrete steps towards reparatory justice by confronting the legacies of its history”.
Experts have also highlighted the issue of overcrowding in prisons, with the overrepresentation of Africans, people of African descent, and individuals of foreign origin in the prison population. Currently, the absence of a broad public conversation about racial discrimination in contemporary Belgian society is reflected in the continued presence of memorials honouring King Leopold II, a symbol of Belgium’s deep complicity in atrocities committed in Africa. Although King Phillipe of Belgium formally apologized in a 2020 letter to Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi for his country’s complicity in colonial-era violence, critics argue that there is still more to be done.
According to a report released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 45 percent of respondents stated that they had experienced an increase in racial discrimination, with 34 percent of respondents agreeing that they faced significant hurdles due to racial profiling when looking for a job. The same report also outlined complaints from parents stating that their children were subject to racial abuse at school, prompting a large number of young people of African descent to leave school earlier compared to their counterparts. In December 2024, the Brussels Court of Appeal delivered a monumental decision, recognizing that the kidnapping of mixed-race children from their African mothers in former Belgian colonies, constituted a crime against humanity.
As of now, the main legislations that govern the framework of anti-discrimination in Belgium which are Laws of 10 May 2007 and Law of 30 July 1981, which enshrine protections against various forms of discrimination but still face challenges in fully addressing inequalities. The recent effects of the 2023 Federal Parliament adoption of a law proposal to further improve protection against discrimination remain to be seen.
The post UN body uncovers systemic racism in Belgium against Africans and people of African descent appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.