Systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in criminal justice systems around the world is pervasive and deeply entrenched, the UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement published a new report on Wednesday.
The report identifies twelve key elements needed for criminal justice systems to eliminate racism and discrimination against Africans and people of African descent. These elements include the elimination of violations such as racial profiling or discrimination in access to bail and parole, and fundamental issues such as adequate training, the use of disaggregated data and the diversity and fair representation of Africans and people of African descent across the justice chain. Other highlighted promising practices include racial and cultural impact assessments, sentence reviews, and restorative justice measures with alternatives to incarceration.
“The overrepresentation of people of African descent in prisons and detention facilities across multiple countries is both a consequence and a symptom of systemic biases in criminal legal systems,” the report said. “Racial stereotypes falsely portraying Africans and people of African descent as inherently criminal not only influence individual decisions by police, judges and prosecutors but also distort entire justice systems.”
“The historical origins of many legal and law enforcement institutions – established during colonial rule or rooted in racially oppressive systems – continue to shape contemporary practices,” the report said. “These disparities are part of a pattern of institutional racism rooted in the enduring legacies of colonialism, enslavement and segregation.”
“All these violations are at high risk of continuing to increase in the current global context. We call on all States to implement these recommendations. We need to work together to overcome systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the criminal justice system,” Akua Kuenyehia, the Chair of the Expert Mechanism said.
The Expert Mechanism will present its report to the Human Rights Council on 1 October 2025 in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, together with its report of the country visit to Belgium.
