The Government of Canada is committed to building a more equitable and inclusive country that recognizes the contributions of all.
On December 5, 2022, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, participated virtually in the first session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This year's session focused on strategies to combat systemic racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
Minister Hussen delivered Canada's introductory statement highlighting how the UN Decade has served as a catalyst for lasting initiatives that will ensure an ongoing focus on the well-being of Black Canadians and communities across Canada. The Minister shared that the Government of Canada has officially recognised the United Nation's International Decade for People of African Descent in Canada and reaffirms its commitment to tackling anti-Black racism and discrimination in all its forms, and continuing our work to eliminate systemic barriers in our society.
Recognizing that a decade will not be enough, Canada welcomes and supports the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent as an opportunity to build on the spirit of the Decade and the principles of justice, recognition and development to better guide initiatives that support Black communities in Canada and around the world.
