The inhabitants of African descent constituted 60 per cent of the population, while 40 per cent were of North American or European descent.

(b) Afro descendants

Attention was drawn to problems faced by Afro Colombians and Afro descendants in the United States of America.

(b) Working Group on People of African Descent

The Working Group was called upon to continue to support and assist Afro descendants, including through the organization of regional seminars for Afro descendants.

(b) Afro descendants (taking into account the work of the Commission on Human Rights Working Group on Persons of African Descent)

(b) Empowerment of women of African descent

At its fifth session, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, examined the following themes mainstreaming the situation of people of African descent in plans for achieving the Millennium Development Goals the empowerment of women of African descent the role of political parties in the integration of people of African descent into political life and decision making processes.

Several issues warranted discussion regarding people of African descent in politics one was how to identify people of African descent.

(g) Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

Item 6 (b) Empowerment of women of African descent

(a) Mainstreaming the situation of people of African descent in plans for achieving the Millennium Development Goals

People of African descent are often victims of double or multiple discrimination.

They are (i) mainstreaming the situation of people of African descent in plans for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (ii) empowerment of women of African descent (iii) the role of political parties in the integration of people of African descent in the political life and in decision making processes.

She recalled the Millennium Declaration, which specifically acknowledged the plight of Africa and of people of African descent and said that the advancement of gender equality among people of African descent was necessary to combat poverty, hunger and diseases.

The Working Group needed to establish organic links with the centres of research for people of African descent in politics and contacts with the most prominent personalities of African descent in politics.

11. The Afro Colombians, who are made up of descendants of Africans and of persons of mixed descent, either African and European or Creole People of mixed Spanish and Amerindian origin. or African and Amerindian, number approximately 6 million (16 per cent of the total population).

The Commission on Human Rights, in resolutions 2002 68 and 2003 30, provided the Working Group with the mandate to study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the diaspora, make proposals on the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world, address all the issues concerning the well being of Africans and people of African descent contained in the DDPA.

Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its fifth session

This concern was acutely felt among people of African descent living in the diaspora.

Future modalities of action of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent programme of work 24

In some Ibero American countries, indigenous and Afro descendant people account for a significant proportion of the groups concerned.

Considering the conditions of extreme poverty in which a majority of people of African descent live in both developing and developed countries, the Working Group urges States in cooperation with civil society to develop strategies to implement the Millennium Development Goals with respect to all people of African descent, regardless of the country in which they live.

Attention was drawn to the common features of Afro descendants as the descendants of slaves who had been deprived of their mother tongue, culture and religion.

She discussed the lack of visibility of the contribution of women of African descent to history.

BERKELEY On July 10, one very important descendant of black Africa will make a triumphant return to the motherland.

Civil society also played an important role in lobbying on behalf of women of African descent to ensure that they were at the centre of any development approach.

Welcomes the outcome of the fourth session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, which focused on the thematic issues of employment, health and housing

Welcomes the outcome of the fourth session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, which focused on the thematic issues of employment, health and housing, in particular the Working Group's intention to undertake country visits consistent with its mandate

He referred to the existing problem faced in collecting statistical data on people of African descent, in particular in Europe, and the ongoing political dialogue on the issue of collecting disaggregated ethnic data.

He asserted that political decisions and political parties affected the lives of people of African descent living in Western Europe.

Sihaka Tsemo, Head of the OHCHR Regional Office for Southern Africa, also spoke on the empowerment of women of African descent.

Mr. Jabbour presented a paper entitled People of African descent in politics .

He elaborated on the role that people of African descent were playing in politics.

(c) Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (resolution 2003 30, para. 26)

(a) Mainstreaming the situation of people of African descent in plans for achieving the Millennium Developing Goals.

(c) The role of political parties in the integration of people of African descent in the political life and in decision making processes

There is the need to collect appropriate data to ensure that women of African descent were targeted as a specific group which had specific needs to develop affirmative action policies and programmes for women of African descent and to implement gender sensitive policies.

She suggested that intensification of investments in training, information and awareness raising, inter cultural understanding, employment and the formation of associations of women of African descent, were tools for the elimination of discrimination against women of African descent and for their empowerment.

Albertine Tshibilondi Ngoyi of the Brussels Centre of African Studies discussed the situation of women of African descent living in the diaspora through the example of Belgium.

Mr. Kasanda presented a paper entitled Empowerment of women of African descent .

She insisted on education and training as preconditions for the empowerment of women of African descent.

Edna Santos Roland proposed a list of practical measures aimed at improving the situation of people of African descent.

33. The Commission deplores the continued violence against indigenous and Afro Colombian communities.

Also welcomes the recommendations of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent contained in its report (E CN.4 2005 21)