UN Secretary-General message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

It corrupts communities, blocks opportunities, and ruins lives, eroding the very foundations of dignity, equality and justice.

As the theme of this year’s International Day reminds us, 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination – a powerful, global commitment to eradicate racial discrimination in all its forms.

Forged amidst the civil rights, anti-apartheid, and decolonisation movements of the 1960s, the Convention sets out concrete steps countries must take to combat racist doctrines, promote understanding, and build a world free from racial discrimination. Today, it remains a beacon of hope to guide us in dark times; times of rising hate and discord, stoked by growing inequalities, algorithms that monetise hostility, and those who seek to divide for their own gain.

 On this International Day, I call for universal ratification of the Convention, and for States to implement it in full. And I urge business leadership, civil society, and everyday people to take a stand against racism in all its forms, and to take action to make the spirit of the Convention a reality. This is our shared responsibility.

The United Nations is a proud ally in the fight for the dignity and equal rights of each member of our human family. We will not rest until a world free of racial discrimination becomes reality.