Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on establishing a UN permanent forum on people of African descent at the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The UK and other EU Member States agreed, in principle, to the creation of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. The Permanent Forum was established during the 73^rd session of the UN General Assembly by resolution 73/262. However, the UK and other EU Member States were unable to support this resolution. This was because of concerns around the specific modalities for its establishment, and that risk that the Permanent Forum could divert resources away from the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which should remain the basis of all efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate racism.