Main programme
São Paulo, Brazil
Programme and Registration
Programme with speakers
Day 1 – Wednesday, 29 November 2023
09:00-9:30 Opening Ceremony
9:30 – 12:00 – Ministerial Panel: Equal Before the Law: How come racism still persists?
This panel will invite ministers from various regions to discuss how laws, policies, and institutions, including judicial and law enforcement systems, have been developed to create enabling environments to attain racial equity and justice. It will examine the effectiveness and sustainability of national frameworks, bilateral and multilateral actions, and launch the UNESCO Network of Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Officials that will serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and expertise, fostering collaboration among officials.
13:30 – 14:30 – Scrub the Data: Is equality data the answer?
Research shows that accurate data can support relevant and effective social policy. On the other hand, race-based data can also result in stereotyping and prejudice that subsequently defies the very essence of its institutionalization. Given the emergence of artificial intelligence, this panel will deconstruct the various types of data collection related to race and present the UNESCO Global Outlook against Racism and Discrimination which will explore the ways equality data is being used by academics and policymakers.
14:30 – 15:30 – The Cost of Racism: Evaluating what societies have to lose (and have already lost)
Based on a Methodological and Conceptual Guide that UNESCO is developing with Brown University, this panel will discuss how racism is measurable in employment, education, access to justice, health, and more as well as linked to other forms of oppression such as on the basis of gender, class and sexuality. It aims to shift discussions on anti-racism and the need for corrective public policies from morality to that of economic performance and will therefore offer a new angle to reflect on these questions and impact strongly the public debate.
16:00 – 17:00 – It Takes a Village: Building the capacities of civil society
From “Black Lives Matter” to “Stop Asian Hate”, from the “Me Too” movement to “Fridays for Future”, stronger ties between governments and civil society have been nurtured in some societies, while the civic space has been under attack in others where institutionalized racism has been upheld by populist leadership. This panel aims to put forward the best practices of government and civil society partnerships that delivered results in inclusive policy design and implementation in order to drive genuine change in society.
17:00 – 18:00 – Unlearning hate: How do we confront racism, hate speech and violent pasts through education?
Confronting racism and all forms of intolerance and discrimination begins with instilling in learners the values, attitudes and behaviors that support responsible global citizenship and commitment to international human rights standards. Education plays a vital role in this respect. This panel will highlight the importance of global citizenship education, as well as innovations in the field of anti-racist education to address global challenges and take transformative action for ensuring sustainable development, democracy and peace.
Day 2 – Thursday, 30 November 2023
9:00 – 10:00 – From Local to Global: Cities and their roles in the worldwide anti-racism efforts
Due to close proximity to and active engagement with their local communities, mayors and city leaders hold a unique advantage in identifying effective policy actions to address racism and discrimination. In São Paulo, the fight for anti-racist legislature continues through new policies such as the Law on Racial Crimes, which holds individuals accountable on a national level. This panel aims to highlight the integral role mayors and city leaders play in promoting inclusivity through policy development.
10:00 – 11:00 – Resilience against Racism: Building media and information literacy and rights-respecting platform governance
Information transmitted through online media and digital platforms influences the way different cultures, religions and ethnic groups are perceived. A critical understanding of the potential biases of online content is therefore indispensable for promoting tolerance, social inclusion, and dialogue. This panel will explore UNESCO’s actions to tackle racism and discrimination online through enhancing users’ skills and fostering platform governance that respects human rights.
11:00 – 12:00 – Racism not Race: Unraveling history and memory
To understand the contemporary realities of racism and discrimination, the acknowledgement of enslavement and the slave trade as the roots of political, social, economic, and cultural inequalities is crucial. This panel will examine the dynamics that normalized racism over centuries with historical analyses complemented by scientific and biological evidence to reify the “myth of race”, including debunking pseudo-scientific theories.
13:30 – 14:30 – “Their” Culture is Our Culture: Protecting indigenous peoples’ rights
Worldwide, the indigenous population, totalling 476 million people, is distributed across more than 90 countries and belongs to over 5,000 distinct indigenous groups speaking more than 4,000 languages. Unfortunately, discrimination persists, leading to approximately 15% of the global population living in extreme poverty being of indigenous origin. Many of these communities are still facing structural racial discrimination caused by historical and current colonization. By highlighting the urgency of addressing persistent global inequalities and challenges faced by indigenous peoples, this panel will identify successful public policies and effective measures supporting their well-being and how governments can work hand in hand with them to establish these policies.
14:30 – 15:30 – Break with the Status Quo: Advancing gender-based resilience
UNESCO designed the first Gender-Based Resilience Framework to shed light on how differences in possibilities, opportunities, roles, needs and constraints shape and impact the resilience of people of diverse gender identities. This panel will examine resilience through a gender lens that responds to the need to move beyond "coping with" or "recovering from" shocks; and towards a transformative resilience, which engages with the complexity of change and interrelations between institutions and individuals.
16:00 – 17:00 – Say it Different: Gendered language and women’s participation in the labour market
Gender-based inequalities in the job market continue to prevail globally, threatening sustainable development worldwide. Using evidence-based knowledge to transform policymaking and strengthen economic structures for gender equality, the panel will propose a discussion on how gender-biased language affects women's participation in the labour market and their career progression.
17:00 - 17:30 - Fireside Chat
with Minister Stephen Par Kuol, Minister for Peacebuilding (South Sudan) and Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO
17:30 – 18:30 – Melting pot: Optimizing the “Arab Latinos!” project
UNESCO’s “Arab Latinos!” project explores the historical and ongoing cultural ties between Arab States and Latin America/Caribbean, aiming to combat stereotypes and discrimination. It delves into the intertwined roots of “Arabs” and “Latinos” shaped by transatlantic interactions, fostering a South-South intercultural dialogue against racism. This panel discusses the initiative's 2022 Action Plan, outcomes from the 2023 conference, emphasizing literature translation, artistic mobility, youth engagement, and concluding with anti-racism recommendations.
Day 3 – Friday, 1 December 2023
9:00 – 10:00 – Ending Disability Discrimination through more Inclusive Policy Frameworks
Across the world, equitable, inclusive societies for persons with disabilities remain far from being a reality. Individuals with multiple, intersecting identities such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and disability face compounded levels of systemic prejudice and marginalization. This panel will address the extent to which national disability inclusion strategies implement the commitments to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) through the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD).
10:00 – 11:00 – Labor Rights and Jobs with Dignity for Everyone: Combatting Racism and Discrimination
According to an April 2021 report from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, race and gender gaps in labor market opportunities and returns cost the U.S. economy a collective $70.8 trillion (in 2019 dollars) between 1990 and 2019. Racial inequities in societies make it harder for certain groups to access decent work, let alone economic benefits or job mobility. Unions can help fight this inequality. This panel will discuss how Brazilian, U.S., and international leaders in the labor union movement and other labor organizations have tackled these challenges, confronted discrimination and fought back to improve working conditions for their members and help everyone benefit from employment opportunities free from discrimination and defined by dignity and respect.
11:00 – 12:00 – Let’s Talk: The impact of narratives on discrimination against migrants
As migrants face prejudice and exclusion, their social integration and economic contributions are hindered, weakening social cohesion, exacerbating tensions and potentially fueling conflicts. This panel, jointly organized with the OECD, will feed into a new UNESCO-OECD brief on the continuum of discrimination against migrant populations, and launch a new project with Harvard University on intercultural skills development to combat the prejudice and stereotypes that precede discrimination against migrants. It will demonstrate the universality of the problem and the consequent need for global solidarity and cooperation.
13.30 – 14:30 – Pride in our Laws: Advancing LGBTQIA+ Rights
Social violence, discrimination and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community remain all over the world. LGBTQIA+ individuals are in a particular situation of vulnerability and marginalization. This panel will examine the present global landscape on LGBTQIA+ rights and set goals to be achieved through discussing the ways civil society and activists can be more effective in achieving social and legal transformations, and how policy-makers can take more informed decisions to protect and promote their rights.
14:30 – 15:30 – Transforming MEN’talities: Engaging men and boys for gender equality
There is a broad consensus that men and boys are key actors in addressing the harmful impacts of patriarchy on people of all genders across the world. Building upon UNESCO's Transforming MEN'talities initiatives, which aims to change mindsets and policies, this panel will focus on current challenges, promising practices and successful initiatives identified by expert civil society organisations to engage men and boys for gender equality, in view to provide concrete and evidence-based recommendations to policymakers and practitioners.
16:00 – 17:00 – The Ball is in Our Court: Using sport as a tool to combat racism
Sport has the power to bring people together, promote values such as respect, solidarity, and fair play, but also remains a platform where racism and discrimination continue to persist. This panel will create a platform for policy makers, athletes, fans, and media representatives to share their research, experiences, challenges, and best practices, hence, engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration to promote positive and inclusive behaviors through sport.
17:00 – 18:00 - System Re-set: Tackling racism and discrimination in generative AI
Artificial intelligence technologies, from the omnipresence of social media platforms to the rise of generative AI foundation models have intensified the spotlight on racism and discrimination. This panel will highlight the ethical challenges brought by the proliferation of generative AI, and map out governance measures compatible with the values, guiding principles and policy actions enshrined in the Recommendation to stimulate discussions about how diverse stakeholders and entities can play pivotal roles in this transformative journey.
18:00 – 19:00 – Closing Ceremony
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