A United Nations panel of experts on racism set up after the 2020 death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of the police announced on Friday that it will visit the United States next week.
The panel, known as the ‘Expert Mechanism to Promote Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement,’ said it would travel to Washington, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and New York during its two-week visit.
The group of three independent investigators will engage with government officials at the federal, state and local levels, law enforcement authorities, civil society organisations, and individuals and communities affected by racism, the UN said in a statement.
The experts will also go to places of detention during the visit, which will take place from 24 April to 5 May.
“We look forward to gaining first-hand insight about the lived experiences of people of African descent in the United States, and to offer recommendations to the government at all levels, to support efforts in combatting systemic racism and excessive use of force, and ensure accountability and justice,” said Professor Juan Méndez (Chile), a member of the Expert Mechanism.
The panel, which also includes Justice Yvonne Mokgoro (South Africa) and Dr. Tracee Keesee (USA), will examine existing laws, policies and practices to regulate the use of force by the police, as well as their compliance with international standards, the statement continued.
The experts will make recommendations on concrete measures needed to ensure access to justice, accountability and punishment for excessive use of force and other human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials against Africans and people of African descent in the United States, it stated.
The mechanism was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, a year after the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer, to investigate accusations of racially motivated police violence around the world.
