On the occasion of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Italy organised, together with Portugal, Kenya and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a side-event on the importance of combating racial discrimination, reducing prejudice and promoting a dialogue that fosters the development of cohesive and equitable societies.
The event highlighted the need for an all-encompassing and long-term commitment to address the root causes of racial discrimination, in particular through awareness-raising campaigns, training modules, legal and policy reforms, community outreach, victim assistance, and verifying the effectiveness of existing protection tools.
“The fight against all forms of discrimination is one of the priorities of Italy’s candidacy to the Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 mandate” underlined the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi. The Ambassador then highlighted Italy’s commitment, both nationally and internationally, to preventing and combating racial discrimination through a comprehensive approach that integrates legal protection, education, dialogue and the active involvement of stakeholders.
During the event, the President of the Interministerial Human Rights Committee (Comitato Interministeriale Diritti Umani – CIDU), Min. Plen. Giovanni Iannuzzi, spoke to reaffirm the CIDU’s firm commitment to prioritizing this issue, also with reference to the relevant recommendations of the 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). In particular, Italy has adopted the National Plan against Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance, presented by UNAR – the National Anti-Racial Discrimination Office, established at the Prime Minister’s Office – who spoke at the event.
