𝐄𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Today is the United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) with its far-reaching, comprehensive mandate that encompasses all ethnic groups in Guyana fully endorses and reinforces its underlying support for this Day.

Since its formation almost 80 years ago, the UN promulgated Article One of its charter to support the oneness of humanity. The major tenet reminds that: “𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝”. The Commission unequivocally joins the world body in espousing that dictum to stop the abhorrent practice of racial discrimination.

The ERC’s primary objective is to canvas the support from citizens and stakeholders of all ethnicities throughout the country’s ten administrative Regions to build peace, tolerance, respect, inclusivity, understanding and ethnic unity. By extension, the Commission’s mandate coincides with the pertinent and well-intentioned desire of the UN to promote racial and ethnic harmony everywhere.

The ERC firmly believes that the elimination of prejudices is paramount for the preservation of peace and brotherhood.

The ERC, which is vested with its 24 functions to promote national harmony, seeks the cooperation of everyone to achieve that monumental goal.

𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧