The United Nations Human Rights Council has agreed to call for an urgent debate covering “racially inspired human rights violations.” The decision comes in response to a demand raised by Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso on behalf of over 50 African nations.

Speaking at the 43rd Regular Session Sougouri had said, “The tragic events of 25 May in Minneapolis in the US which led to the death of George Floyd led to protests throughout the world against injustice and police brutality that persons of African descent face on a daily basis in many regions of the world. The death of George Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated incident.” African nations had called for an urgent debate on racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and the violence against peaceful protests.

Anti-racism demonstrations began in wake of the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, who became a victim of police brutality on May 25. Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned Floyd to the ground and pressed his knee into the back of Floyd’s neck while in the process of detaining him in connection with a case involving an allegedly fake $20 bill. A video of the killing went viral where in his dying minutes Floyd could be heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe” and then becoming unresponsive. Protests have been taking place across the United States in all major cities including Minneapolis, Seattle, Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Buffalo, Columbus and many other cities and towns. Protests have also taken place outside the United States in places like Auckland, Wellington, Paris, Lyon, London and even in counties like Japan, Germany and Sweden.