A/HRC/42/59/Add.3 initiatives have been taken showing that debate around this topic is indeed ongoing. Belgium even encourages a thorough and open public debate without any restrictions on this topic. This has been for instance the approach followed by the Government and the Parliament(s) with regard to investigating and questioning Belgian policy regarding the murder on Lumumba, or the way in which the “métis” (persons of mixed descent) of the colonization were treated before and after independence. Reference can also be made to several parliamentary resolutions at different levels and the debate these engendered. Active exchanges of views are taking place amongst both civil society fora and Belgian authorities. Historians are encouraged to work on fact-finding and analysis of the colonial past in the Belgian and international context. Archive resources are made available by competent authorities, and research enabled accordingly. This is also why Belgium, at the request of the diaspora and at the initiative of the director of the Museum, decided to rethink completely the way in which the AfricaMuseum presented history. Belgian officials have stated unequivocally on numerous occasions that colonialism, which was based on inequality, cannot be condoned. The recent reopening of the AfricaMuseum led to a vivid public debate. 20. Another important result of recent debates about the colonial past is the declaration of the Prime Minister, on 4 April 2019, on behalf of the Belgian Government, acknowledging the targeted segregation of métis persons under the colonial administration of the Belgian Congo and Rwanda-Urundi until 1962 and following decolonization, as well as the related policy of forced abduction. On behalf of the Federal Government, he apologized to people born to white fathers and African mothers during the Belgian colonization and their families for the injustices and suffering. He expressed his compassion for the African mothers, whose children were taken from them. He expressed the wish that this solemn moment would be a further step towards raising awareness and knowledge of this part of Belgium's history and strengthen the Belgian authorities' determination to fight relentlessly against all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. Several actions and/or commitments were taken with regard to their civil status, to helping the concerned persons identifying their African biological parents, to their access to the colonial archives, to facilitate the access to their personal files, to historical research etc. Link between the colonial past and current racism 21. The Belgian Government recognizes that there are multiple forms of racism in our society and it recognizes its colonial past and the fact that this was based on inequality. However, drawing very direct links between the colonial past and current forms of racism against people of African descent and presenting the Belgian colonial past in Central Africa as the sole explanation for the persistence of contemporary forms of discrimination in Belgium is an oversimplification and a generalization that lacks in nuance. There is a more complex reality, where current forms of racism have multiple and much more complex causes than just the colonial past: Belgium, similarly to many other countries, has developed into a multicultural society the last decades, and it faces the challenge of ensuring an inclusive society where people with very diverse backgrounds live harmoniously together in full respect of diversity. It is taking concrete steps in working towards this goal. Education 22. The right to education is firmly anchored in the Belgian Constitution (art. 24) 3 stipulating that “education is free; any preventive measure is forbidden”. This implies that 3 1. Education is free; any preventive measure is forbidden; the punishment of offences is regulated only by the law or federate law. The community organises non-denominational education. This implies in particular the respect of the philosophical, ideological or religious beliefs of parents and pupils. Schools run by the public authorities offer, until the end of compulsory education, the choice between the teaching of one of the recognised religions and non-denominational ethics teaching. 5