A new report by the U.N. human rights office finds that systemic racism against people of African decent is deeply-rooted and urgent measures are needed to address and dismantle discriminatory systems.

According to Voice of America, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says people of African descent in many countries have less access to food, healthcare and education. They are also often victims of enforced disappearance and violence.

Shamdasani notes the U.N. report finds African migrants and those of African descent are victims of excessive use of force and killings by law enforcement officials, subject to punitive drug policies and arrests, and are disproportionately represented in prison populations.

“Where available, the data continues to point to disproportionately high rates of death of people of African descent by law enforcement in different countries," she said, according to VOA. "And families of African descent continue to report the immense challenges, barriers and protracted processes that they face in their pursuit of truth and justice for the deaths of their relatives.”

The report notes that some countries have taken steps to address racism, but those efforts largely have been too gradual and fall short of what is needed to dismantle entrenched, societal racism that has existed for centuries.

Included in the report are seven cases of police-related fatalities of people of African descent, including Breonna Taylor in March 2020 and George Floyd in May 2020.

Shamdasani said their families are still seeking justice, as are the families of five other people killed by law enforcement in France, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Colombia.

“A year later, the report states that while there has been some progress toward accountability in some of these emblematic cases, unfortunately, not a single case has yet been brought to a full conclusion,” she added.

Read the full report here.

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