That the House of Representatives—
encourages the recognition and celebration of the collective history and achievements made by people of African descent;
reaffirms the importance of inclusion and the full and equal participation of people of African descent around the world in all aspects of political, economic, social, and cultural life;
recognizes that, as a result of their skin color and ancestry, many Black Europeans have wrongfully experienced injustices in the public and private sector;
welcomes parliamentary activities, including those of the European Parliament (EP), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and United States Congress, to engage in efforts to promote racial equality and combat racial discrimination through efforts such as introducing legislation, speaking out against racism, increasing the political participation of diverse populations through initiatives such as the Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network, and working with Black European and other diverse communities to develop relevant policies;
urges European governments and members of civil society and the private sector, in consultation with Black European communities, to develop and implement initiatives to combat racial discrimination and promote racial equality and inclusion in Europe, by—
drafting and implementing an EU Framework for National Strategies to Promote Inclusion of and Combat Discrimination towards People of African Descent and Black Europeans;
drafting and implementing anti-discrimination, special measures, hate crimes, migration and integration, inclusion, and other laws and policies to address discrimination and disparities and promote equality, noting the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Experts Working Group on People of African Descent (WGPAD), the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EUFRA), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism and Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner and European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and the OSCE Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination and OSCE/ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Unit;
promoting and funding research, including the collection of national census data on Black Europeans and its inclusion in the annual reports of the EUFRA and other official reporting at the EU and national levels;
providing technical support, training, and funding to Black European civil society and private sector groups and experts working to combat racism, discrimination, and inequality, uphold basic human rights in Europe, and to increase economic opportunity and empowerment;
introducing national measures to counter stereotypical images of persons of African descent, by revising textbooks, increasing efforts to include Black Europeans in history and heritage institutions, and remembering victims of colonialism, enslavement, and other atrocities;
developing or increasing financial support for funds to assist victims of hate crimes with legal assistance and compensation when incapacitated due to physical or emotional injuries;
developing specific initiatives that address the special concerns of Black European men, women, and youth, including increasing initiatives related to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers;
actively promoting racial and ethnic representation and participation at all levels of national, regional, and local government through the education of civil and political rights, including the legislative process and advocacy of legislative issues relevant to racial and ethnic communities, development of targeted professional advancement and hiring strategies, increased youth and community outreach, and self-organization and other empowerment initiatives; and
recruiting, training, hiring, and retaining Black Europeans for professional positions in support of these initiatives;
urges the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to—
provide technical assistance and other support for European governments and members of the civil society and private sector to fulfill the initiatives described above, including by expanding United States Government efforts with the OSCE to increase the capacity of members of African Descent communities to address discrimination;
increase support for the WGPAD and International Decade for People of African Descent; and
by establishing a Global Office of African Descent Affairs within the Department of State headed by senior officials to develop and implement global foreign policy and assistance strategies to improve the situation of people of African descent around the world, create a Department of State “Fund” to support antidiscrimination and empowerment efforts by African descent led civil society organizations around the world, and include a section on discrimination faced by people of African descent in the Department of State’s Annual Country Reports Human Rights Practices, and working with USAID and other United States Government agencies to implement the strategy;
supports the adoption of a “Joint Action Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion” between the European Union and United States modeled after similar United States agreements with Colombia and Brazil, and implementation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Resolutions on People of African Descent and addressing racial and xenophobic violence and discrimination to assist in fulfilling the initiatives above; and
urges the Secretary of State and the Administrator of USAID to provide a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on Department of State and USAID efforts to address global racial and ethnic discrimination, including any funding efforts or international exchange opportunities for civil society.