BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 1. The 35th session of the UN Expert Working Group on the Rights of People of African Descent will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from December 2 to 6, Trend reports.
The event is recognized as a major international platform for advocating the rights of people of African descent and addressing the legacy of historical injustices.
The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) announced to Trend that during the session, a side event on "Restoring Justice and Eradicating Colonialism: Protecting the Rights of African Descent People in Colonized Territories" will be organized by the Bonaire Human Rights Organization, the Permanent Mission of the Bahamas to the UN, and the UN Expert Working Group on the Rights of People of African Descent.
Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the BIG, will participate in this prestigious event. The BIG will present its ongoing projects on colonialism and the eradication of its consequences, focusing on initiatives aimed at restoring the rights of colonized peoples.
The session and side event will highlight the historical injustices, socio-economic inequalities, and human rights challenges faced by people of African descent. The main objective of the event is to work towards the restoration of their rights, remove barriers under international law, and offer recommendations for long-term solutions.
In addition to participating in the session, BIG will showcase its activities, achievements, and upcoming priorities. The organization continues its efforts to ensure the international recognition of the rights of peoples suffering from colonialism, address historical injustices, and support their struggles for freedom.
BIG has made significant contributions to the fight for the independence of the people of Bonaire from colonial rule. The organization cooperates on issues such as cultural heritage protection, human rights, and the development of concrete solutions under international law.
A key highlight of BIG’s work in this area was the international conference on "The Path to Self-Determination for Bonaire Island at the UN General Assembly from Baku" held on August twenty-second, 2024, in Baku. The event saw participation from representatives of the Bonaire people's struggle for freedom, as well as senior officials from Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Saint Lucia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the Netherlands, alongside human rights defenders, NGO leaders, decolonization experts, and academics.
The conference focused on international legal mechanisms to help the people of Bonaire achieve independence and efforts to reinstate Bonaire on the UN's list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
BIG’s participation in such initiatives demonstrates Azerbaijan’s leadership role in the international decolonization process, reflecting the country's contributions to the restoration of rights for peoples affected by colonialism.
The international community highly values the BIG's activities in this field, positioning it at the center of global efforts supporting the freedom and rights struggles of colonized peoples.