The children’s report and participation resonated strongly within CERD. Esseneme praised the teenagers for speaking with assurance about the discrimination they face.

According to UN Human Rights, the normalisation that the children described is part of a wider pattern of resurgent racism, amplified by political discourse, social media, and entrenched stereotypes around the world.

This is why, at the High-Level Event, Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif warned how racial discrimination intersects with other forms of discrimination in pernicious ways, calling on States to honour victims by renewing their commitment to combating racial discrimination.

The High-Level Event also marked the end of the ICERD60 campaign, a year-long effort to commemorate six decades of the Convention and renew global commitments to eliminate racial discrimination.

The children’s testimonies also raised a deeper question: why do these experiences persist, even in countries with strong legal protections?

The gap between laws on paper and real change

The three teenage girls described a system that avoids confronting the reality of racism. They explained that this denial is felt in schools, where responses to racism vary depending on who a child turns to, and where clear, consistent rules are missing.

For them, the deeper issue is that leaders act as if the system is functioning properly; without honesty and real responsibility, any proposed solution remains superficial, they said.

According to UN Human Rights, many countries around the world face various challenges about accessible and effective remedies for victims of racial discrimination.

“It’s really important to make sure there’s avenues for people to have recourse at the domestic level, because racial discrimination is happening at home,” said Professor Claire Charters, an Indigenous rights expert and law professor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Esseneme warned that many States have good laws but poor implementation.

“Most States have developed legal and institutional frameworks, but their effectiveness is not perceived by victims,” she said. “Without reliable statistics, it is difficult for a State to plan strategic actions for inclusive development.”

Durar agreed. For her, institutions must be brave enough to admit the problem. “When you can name it, you can measure it and fix it.”

Esseneme added that this kind of contradiction appears in many countries, for instance, States often present structures to combat hate speech, yet neglect to define hate speech in their criminal legislation, making those very structures ineffective.

Al-Nashif said that ICERD was revolutionary because it established the first international anti-racism machinery for implementation, going far beyond statements of principle and previous instruments.

CERD has elaborated 39 General Recommendations on issues relating to racial discrimination to which it believes States parties should devote more attention. Topics include combatting racist hate speech, racial profiling by law enforcement officials, right to health and xenophobia.

Charters said the Committee’s work is vital and must be grounded in local realities. She explained that tackling racial discrimination requires domestic engagement, not only Geneva-based dialogue.

Charters added that lasting progress demands structural reform, noting that “constitutional transformation is probably the most important step you can take to entrench freedom from discrimination.” 

Her emphasis on deep structural reform echoed what the children were also calling for in more immediate terms.

What real anti-racism requires from States

“Stop assuming you know our experiences better than we do. Equality starts with believing young people’s reality,” Durar said.

Leylo strongly believes that adults should listen and show respect to young racialised people, not talk to them like they’re less than them.

For Ava, Durar and Leylo, CERD’s response during the review stood in stark contrast to the silence they often encounter at home. They said they felt heard, noting that the Committee took their concerns seriously and brought them into a formal dialogue.

“Article 1 [of the UDHR] says that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” Esseneme said. “But at the root of racism is the idea that some human beings believe they are superior to others, yet it is our diversity that makes the world beautiful.”

Ava, Durar and Leylo were especially struck by Esseneme’s firmness with the Swedish delegation, describing how she pressed for answers instead of allowing officials to avoid difficult questions — a gesture that, as Leylo put it, “made me really happy.”

Al-Nashif said that the objectives of ICERD remain elusive, which is why the work to end racial discrimination remains essential.

“This High-Level event is a reminder that the Convention exists and that States have these obligations. [It’s] a timely discussion at a moment when human rights are under attack,” Charters said.

Balcerzak stressed that at a time when the very existence of racial discrimination and racism is increasingly denied, the Committee calls on States, individuals, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations to persist in their efforts to expose and combat racial injustice.