The president of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States (OAS), Clare K. Roberts, said that the 1st National Conference for the Promotion of Racial Equality reveals Brazil’s commitment to combating racial discrimination.
"I am greatly impressed with the Brazilian government’s commitment to fighting racism and include the issue of fighting all types of discrimination on its agenda."
According to Roberts, Brazil plays an important role in the struggle against racism.
"Brazil is viewed abroad as a country that not only manages to discuss and resolve racial questions internally but one that is probably also doing more to resolve racial questions throughout the hemisphere."
He observes that Brazil is the founder of the reporting office that deals with matters related to Afro-descendants in the OAS and that the country is also a key participant in the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Inter-American Human Rights Commission, in Washington.
For the OAS representative, the debate on issues related to ethnic discrimination can be considered one of the main results of this conference.
"The first outcome of this conference is to expose all these themes and make these issues visible. Brazil is a very important country for making this possible and visible in South America."
The conference, which began yesterday, June 30, and runs through Saturday, July 2, will bring together proposals for the preparation of a National Plan to Promote Racial Equality.
ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br