A/HRC/45/47 63. In the aforementioned statement she made during the urgent debate held at the fortythird session of the Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that: Behind today’s racial violence, systemic racism, and discriminatory policing lies the failure to acknowledge and confront the legacy of the slave trade and colonialism. To build a more solid foundation for equality we need to better understand the scope of systemic discrimination, with disaggregated data by ethnicity or race. … We also need to make amends for centuries of violence and discrimination, including through formal apologies, truth-telling processes, and reparations in various forms.53 64. Truth-telling processes and dialogues at the national level, and broader regional and international initiatives, represent an important step towards eradicating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against people of African descent. While they do not offer a perfect solution, truth and reconciliation can contribute to achieving reparatory justice. It is noteworthy that the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance also refers to truth telling in her most recent report to the General Assembly.54 OHCHR has expertise in the area of transitional justice and stands ready to assist in holding such discussions and dialogue. L. Forum on people of African descent 65. Since the adoption of the programme of activities, a forum on people of African descent has been envisaged to serve as a mechanism for consultations among Member States, civil society, the United Nations and all other stakeholders during the course of the Decade. 66. Between 2015 and 2018, the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have, in successive resolutions, articulated some of the modalities of such a forum.55 On 10 May 2019, OHCHR and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva held a day-long consultation with over 200 participants, including representatives of Governments, United Nations mechanisms, entities and specialized agencies, civil society and people of African descent from all regions. For the first time, several civil society coalitions representing hundreds of non-governmental organizations from Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean engaged in extensive prior consultations and drafted concrete proposals, indicating a very high level of interest and shared aspirations of people of African descent for the forum.56 In December 2019, the General Assembly welcomed the decision to establish the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the constructive discussions held in Geneva on the modalities of the Permanent Forum, and decided to define them at its seventy-fourth session.57 67. A crucial achievement at the midterm of the Decade would be the adoption of the modalities, format and substantive and procedural aspects of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, which would contribute to implementing the programme of activities of the Decade. Both in public statements and in discussions with delegations, the High Commissioner has encouraged Member States to accelerate their consideration of, and negotiations on, such modalities. IV. Further necessary action 68. In view of the foregoing, at the midterm of the Decade, further action is urgently needed by States and all other stakeholders on a number of fronts. There has been some progress in implementation, and OHCHR has played an important coordination and implementation role in that regard, as outlined above. However, the pace of implementation 53 54 55 56 57 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25968&LangID=E. A/74/321. Human Rights Council resolutions 30/17 and 34/33 and General Assembly resolution 73/262. A/PFPAD/2019/1. Resolution 74/137, paras. 13 and 15. Discussions on the Permanent Forum have been delayed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and are expected to continue during the seventy-fifth session. 13