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EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive dialogue on People of African Descent

06.11.2025
New York

6 November 2025, New York – European Union Statement at the United Nations General Assembly 80th Session, Third Committee Interactive Dialogue with the Chair of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, Mr Martin Kimani; the Chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, Ms Bina D’Costa; and the Member of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement, Ms Tracie Keesee

 

Chair,

The European Union and its Member States thank Mr Kimani, Ms D’Costa, and Ms Keesee for their insightful reports.

The International Independent Expert Mechanism’s deep-dive on racism in the criminal justice system is timely. We agree that tackling discrimination at all stages is fundamental. The EU’s own Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025 highlights the importance of countering racial bias in law enforcement and improving the collection of accurate and comparable data.

We also note the strong, converging focus on reparatory justice in the reports of both the Working Group and the Permanent Forum. The EU reaffirms its belief in the importance of reconciliation and reckoning with the past. As we have stated before, durable and broadly acceptable solutions require a safe and inclusive space to exchange views, answer questions, and jointly develop solutions that bring everyone on board.

The Permanent Forum’s report also raises critical points on artificial intelligence. We share the concern that AI can perpetuate racial bias, which is why our AI Act bans harmful practices like social scoring and racial biometric categorization systems.

Turning to the briefers, your reports highlight the risks of some uses of new technologies, such as predictive policing, which can create "a dangerous feedback loop" that reinforces racial profiling.

What best-practice examples exist of States successfully implementing human rights oversight for AI tools already in use by law enforcement?

Finally, Chair, we believe it is time for a broader discussion on enhancing the effectiveness and synergies of all DDPA mechanisms. This includes the Permanent Forum's own call for an evaluation of its modalities. The EU cannot agree to continuous requests for additional resources without a clear willingness to evaluate results and improve complementarities.

Thank you.