by Payton Focht / GICJ  

UN experts urge a complete overhaul of United States anti discrimination legislation. The USA has seen a growing lack of inclusion in society as well as increasing discrimination and hate speech. To limit the damages caused by discrimination, UN experts called for US legislation to undergo a “complete overhaul”. Despite pretenses of being multicultural, welcoming and inclusive , the reality of the USA is rooted in its history of genocide of Native Americans and deeply-engrained systemic racism. The USA stands out among other western countries due to its major lack of legal protections for racial minorities, native populations and other vulnerable  groups. In recent years, there has been a major growth in hate speech, mainly targeting marginalized and vulnerable groups, creating an ever more unsafe environment for minority individuals.

Following the 2020 election, UN experts had expressed hopes that the US would create anti-racism policies that are more closely aligned with their international human rights obligations. Unfortunately this was not the case so far, and there are still major holes in the US legislation that must be fixed. US legislation still allows unequal education funding to be distributed. The under funding of schools has a disproportionate impact on minority children, black and brown children and native children. Without adequate funding, schools are forced to teach with insufficient school supplies and less qualified professionals which in turn reduces the opportunities available to minority children..

The criminal justice system also has a disproportionate impact on minorities. Minority groups tend to be incarcerated at a greater rate and the sentencing tends to be harsher for them. In addition, rural states have privatized prisons which, often, have a greater priority on the profit than the wellbeing and human rights of the incarcerated individual.

Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) urges the US to implement more inclusive policies, to avoid the politicization of human rights. We also urge the UN and the international community to pressure the US to better align itself with its human rights obligations. The US government should not be left to ignore these human rights violations and the needs of minority groups in the country. GICJ urges citizens of the US to vote and insist on policy changes in both local and national governments. The US must create a better environment for minority groups and must face decade long challenges instead of trying to cover us past mistakes.  

   Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice