Reparations ‘key to dismantling systemic racism’: UN rights chief 14 April 2026 Human Rights The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described reparatory justice for colonialism, enslavement and the trade in enslaved Africans as “key to dismantling systemic racism.” Speaking on Tuesday at the  fifth session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent , he lauded the advances in racial justice and equality that have been made over the past decades.  These include the adoption of anti-discrimination laws, the creation of independent human rights and equality institutions and steps towards reparations.  However, the picture for people of African descent around the world remains uneven and fragile , he said, and in some cases progress is even being pushed back .  ‘Daily realities’ of poverty, racism and AI bias The UN rights chief pointed to daily discrimination in a wide range of situations, from the workplace, to hospitals, classrooms and encounters with…