In a landmark address during the global Human Rights Update at the opening of the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, highlighted a major breakthrough in the fight against Descent Communities who experience Discrimination on Work and Descent (DWD)
In his global Human Rights Update, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk spotlighted the recent adoption of Resolution 619 on Discrimination Based on Work and Descent by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, describing it as a global milestone for equality.
The resolution, adopted on 6 November 2024 during the Commission’s 81st Ordinary Session in Banjul, The Gambia, marks the first formal recognition of caste-like discrimination within the African human rights system. It constitutes a major step forward for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD)—groups historically subjected to exclusion, marginalization, and modern forms of slavery due to inherited social status and occupation.
Resolution 619 explicitly acknowledges discrimination based on work and descent, including caste-like hierarchies, untouchability, and inherited social status, as a distinct and widespread human rights violation in Africa. The Commission calls for a comprehensive continental study to document the scope, causes, and impacts of such discrimination, with the active participation of affected communities. The findings are to be shared with African Union bodies and State Parties.
The resolution also urges African governments to formally acknowledge and address this form of discrimination by adopting legislative, institutional, and policy measures, including disaggregated data collection. It highlights the importance of collaboration with civil society and human rights defenders, and calls on traditional and religious leaders to support the eradication of descent-based discrimination.
This bold stance by the African Commission sends a clear message: systemic exclusion based on birth and occupation must no longer be tolerated. It is a historic call to action for governments, institutions, and communities across the continent—and beyond—to ensure dignity, justice, and equality for all.
Read the full resolution here: ACHPR Resolution 619 on Discrimination Based on Work and Descent
