What is the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination?
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a universal agreement to protect people from discrimination on the basis of race, colour, or nationality. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1965 and came into force in 1969. Under ICERD, States parties (countries which have signed and ratified the Convention) are obliged to take a series of steps to implement the Convention. This includes making sure racial discrimination is outlawed and criminalized at the national level, as well as taking active steps to eradicate practices of racial discrimination. In Colorado, both the US Constitution and the state Constitution guarantee the right to equal protection of the law for all, regardless of race, colour or national origin. In 2005, Colorado adopted the Colorado Interethnic and Intercultural Relations Act, which reinforces this principle and seeks to ensure the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination in Colorado. In addition to this, the US is a party to ICERD, making it legally bound to take steps to implement the Convention. This includes the passage of specific legislation outlawing racial discrimination and providing for effective remedies in case of racial discrimination. In summary, in Colorado, the rights of all people are protected from racial discrimination through state and federal laws, as well as through the US’s commitment to ICERD, which requires the taking of active steps to eradicate racial discrimination.
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