A/HRC/13/59 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 6 January 2010 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirteenth session Agenda item 9 Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action Report of the Working Group of experts on people of African descent Visit to Ecuador (22 to 26 June 2009) Summary At the invitation of the Government of Ecuador, the Working Group of experts on people of African descent undertook an official mission to Ecuador from 22 to 26 June 2009. In the present report, the Working Group examines the general situation of people of African descent in Ecuador, describes the position in which people of African descent find themselves and the situations that expose them to discrimination, and outlines the action taken at various levels for their well-being. It concludes with recommendations that the Working Group believe will, if implemented, make tangible improvements in the situation of people of African descent in Ecuador. During its visit to Ecuador, the Working Group found that the problems faced by people of African descent in the country related mainly to a lack of access to such basic services as adequate housing, health care and education, disproportionately high levels of unemployment and representation in detention centres, an undervaluing of the Afrodescendent contribution to the national identity and the negative representation of Afrodescendents in the media. The Working Group attributes this, in large part, to structural racism that exists as a result of the colonial past of Ecuador, which informs its collective psyche to the present day. In this respect, the Working Group appreciates that the Government of Ecuador is open, aware of the existing problems and committed to facing these challenges with innovative programmes and legislative initiatives. The Working Group is particularly impressed by the new Constitution adopted in 2008, which allows for advances to be made in the protection and promotion of the human rights of all vulnerable groups, including the population of African descent. Such elements as the recognition and protection of the collective rights of people of African descent are forward-thinking initiatives that will go a GE.10-10207 (E) 010210