ACLU Oral Statement for Item 9 on Systemic Racism and Resolution 43/1 at the 47th Session of UN Human Rights Council

The ACLU's statement on the Interactive dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on systemic racism, violations of international human rights law against Africans and people of African descent by law enforcement agencies (HRC res. 43/1) at the 47th Session of the UN Human Rights Council was delivered by Ms. Collette Flanagan, founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Police Brutality and mother of Clinton Allen who was killed by the Dallas Police Department on March 10, 2013.

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Transcript:

I welcome the High Commissioner’s report and its groundbreaking agenda for transformative change towards racial justice and equality.

We commend the High Commissioner and her team for listening to the voices of families of victims of police violence and centering the lived painful experiences of people of African descent more broadly.

As a mother who lost her only son due to police violence, I can tell you first-hand the daily struggles that families face to achieve accountability and justice.

That is why MAPB works from a unique perspective, that gives us the lived experiences through the lens of Mothers and family members who have lost their children and loved ones to police violence in the United States.

I call on the Biden Administration and U.S. Congress, as well as state and local governments, where more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies operate, to heed the report’s recommendations.

That is why, Madame President, we welcome the creation of an independent expert mechanism that will examine systemic racism, especially in the context of law enforcement, and help combat impunity for police brutality against people of African descent in the United States and other countries.

We look forward to working with the Office of the High Commissioner and the new accountability mechanism to lift up the voices and experiences of families of victims of systemic racism and police violence.

Thank you.