Reflecting on the 60th Anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

60 years ago, the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), marking a groundbreaking step in the global effort to eradicate racism. 

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) was established by the United Nations and is informed by the International Convention. Observed annually on March 21^st, it marks the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. IDERD is a moment to take stock of the injustices and biases that continue to be driven by racial discrimination every day and reflect on our ongoing work to address them. 

Across the world today, equitable public policies are being rolled back, which is especially harmful to racialized communities. At the same time, in many places, past commitments to progress are being undone, and society is becoming more divided. In these moments, we must strengthen our commitment to equity and inclusion to keep our society moving forward and thriving. 

On the 60^th anniversary of the International Convention, the stakes of holding firm to the principles of racial equality and human rights have never been more important. In Canada, the CRRF is continuing to strengthen the social fabric of our society by supporting, enabling and convening community and shaping and supporting the development of equitable public policy.  In collaboration with the Environics Institute for Survey Research, we recently released the third edition of Race relations in Canada 2024: A survey of Canadian public opinion and experience, which for the first time gathered data on experience of hate incidents and hate crimes in Canada, alongside previous themes regarding the general state of race relations in this country. 

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