Patrick Vernon OBE – UN Witness talk on Health & Wellbeing

Patrick Vernon OBE, United Nations (UN) Witness talk on Health & Wellbeing (Human Rights Violations of People of African Descent) Saturday 21st January 2023, at the Weston Hall in the University of West London. As part of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of the Government.

The expert delegation led by Catherine S. Namakula includes Barbara G. Reynolds and Dominique Day. The experts are gathering information on any forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and assess the human rights situation of people of African descent in the country. They will also follow up on implementation of recommendations made after the experts’ visit to the UK in 2012.

During the visit, the Working Group will travel to London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol. They will meet with Government representatives, national institutions, people of African descent, lawyers, civil society organisations and individuals working on issues of racism and racial discrimination.

The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established on 25 April 2002 by the then Commission on Human Rights, following the World Conference against Racism held in Durban in 2001. It is composed of five independent experts: Ms. Catherine S. Namakula (Uganda) current Chair-Rapporteur; Ms. Barbara G. Reynolds (Guyana) current Vice-Chair; Ms. Dominique Day (United States of America); Ms. Miriam Ekiudoko (Hungary). The Working Group is part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the United Nations Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.