Fighting Racism and Discrimination: A UNESCO Toolkit

Globally, 1 in 5 people have experienced discrimination on at least one of the grounds prohibited under international human rights law. Despite action around the world to end hate and combat discrimination, our societies continue to struggle. Institutionalised and structural racism remains a significant challenge with societies only beginning to come to terms with the harsh realities of historical legacies of inequality.

Regardless of the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd and increased discussion, policies tackling the legacies of historical racism as well as contemporary racism remain limited. Arguments on the ethics of collecting racial and ethnicity data persist, making measurement of racism and discrimination all the more challenging and leading to difficulties in fully comprehending this issue. However, with impact ranging from education to housing to income to criminal justice, these issues cannot wait.

Recognising the magnitude of this challenge and responding to the urgent call for action – the Global Call against Racism – by our Member States, UNESCO has developed the UNESCO Anti-Racism Toolkit. Within the pages of this guide, you will find core concepts, good practices from around the world, practical exercises, and more. A tool designed to support policy-makers in developing anti-racist legislation, it is a first step to tackling the historical and structural racism within our societies.