Geneva, June 17 (RHC)-- Pedro Luis Pedroso, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, condemned the scourge of racism and xenophobia that still persists in the 21st century in the vast majority of the world's countries.

During his speech at the 43rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Cuban diplomat reiterated the need to implement the Durban Program of Action, established at the 2001 World Conference against Racism in that South African city, with the aim of adopting actions that will make it possible to achieve equality among peoples.

He also denounced the violent actions committed against the Afro-descendant community, especially the case of the U.S. citizen George Floyd, who was murdered by a white policeman in Minneapolis last May 25th.

"The abominable murder of George Floyd is not an isolated action.  The reality is that racism and police violence against people of African descent and minorities are not exceptions or errors of that system," said the Cuban ambassador.  "They are the system."

In this regard, Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur, exposed in the debate the deep fractures in the American legal system, which sustain and promote the prevailing racism in that country.

About this situation in the world today, Bruno Rodríguez, Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote on the social network Twitter that "in an increasingly unequal and complex world, we must fight against violations of human rights based on skin color and ethnic origin."

This session of the Human Rights Council will continue its debates until Friday, June 19th.