The UNESCO Forum Against Racism and Discrimination Drives the Creation of a Global Anti-Racist Alliance
The event achieves strong commitments to address racism and discrimination through public policies and coordinated actions.

After two days of intense discussions, the IV Global Forum of UNESCO Against Racism and Discrimination concluded in Barcelona. The event brought together more than 140 political leaders, activists, and experts from 85 countries worldwide. A total of 1,400 people registered to attend, more than 50,000 followed it online, and 150 speakers participated, making it the largest Global Forum against Racism in all its editions.
The result was the establishment of the Global Alliance, designed to foster the exchange of experiences and best practices while calling for decisive action. Its aim is to promote respect for human rights, gender equality, and the fight against racism and discrimination in all spheres of life. This commitment will help enhance capacities, generate knowledge, conduct research, and contribute to the design and implementation of public policies and actions across various fields. UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector will act as the Secretariat, tasked with promoting and coordinating the alliance’s activities.
A Transversal Approach to Combating Discrimination
The Forum underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to address discrimination across all sectors of government and society. The Alliance will urge all stakeholders—including international and regional institutions, national, regional, and local governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, the media, and artistic communities—to intensify efforts. It will also promote accountability in advancing the international agenda for racial equity and justice through forums that facilitate political direction and establish indicators to measure progress.
Key Commitments of the Alliance
Members of the Global Alliance pledge to:
– Advance affirmative public policies and establish legal and institutional frameworks in dialogue with all levels of public administration, ensuring adequate allocation of human and financial resources for implementation. This aligns with UNESCO’s Anti-Racism Toolkit, which will be made available to members.
– Support local governments as key actors in combating racism and discrimination, collaborating on initiatives to create inclusive cities.
– Bolster civil society and non-governmental organizations, recognizing their pivotal role in advancing this agenda.
– Invest in data and research to document the multifaceted impacts of systemic racism and discrimination, identify areas of inequality, and study best practices to counteract them. UNESCO will support these efforts through initiatives such as the newly launched Global Outlook Against Racism and the updated Gender Resilience Framework.
– Strengthen the UNESCO Network of National Authorities Against Racism and Discrimination and establish a business platform to encourage private sector involvement.
– Promote communication campaigns, grounded in advanced research, to raise awareness not only about the prevalence of racism but also about effective measures to combat it.
– Encourage awareness and skill development through education and training across all sectors to dismantle prejudice, biases, and racism. UNESCO will amplify efforts like its Master Class Series Against Racism and Discrimination and ensure creative, innovative, and accessible pedagogical tools.
– Engage communities through consultations, surveys, and focus groups to include them as full partners in policy design, implementation, and evaluation.
– Foster public-private partnerships to drive global social responsibility and align investments with goals for meaningful societal change.
– Ensure accountability by making the fight against racism and discrimination a central theme in all areas of life.
UNESCO will provide members with its tools, platforms, and policies to combat racism, with progress evaluated at each edition of the Global Forum Against Racism and Discrimination.
A Call to Action
Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, emphasized the urgency of united action against racism and all forms of discrimination in a world grappling with violence, hate speech, and widespread prejudice. She stated, “The Global Alliance will give us a clear direction on many critical issues” and urged participants to leave the Forum with a renewed sense of purpose. “The future we aspire to is within reach, but only if we have the courage to build it,” she concluded.
Ana Redondo, Spain’s Minister of Equality, acknowledged the challenges ahead despite asserting that “Spain is not a racist country.” She stressed the importance of the 1948 Declaration in confronting those who incite fear and hatred against diversity, noting the new challenges posed by denialism, populism, and misinformation on social media.
Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, highlighted the significance of the Global Alliance, dubbed the “Barcelona Alliance,” as a space to share experiences, best practices, and knowledge. “We pledge our city’s capacity, experience, and vision to support and drive this Alliance,” he declared.
Eva Menor Cantador, Minister for Equality and Feminism of the Generalitat of Catalonia, described the Alliance as a “call to action.” She emphasized the importance of a clear legal framework to condemn and penalize hate speech, discriminatory attitudes, and violence, paving the way for a society rooted in respect and equality.
Jaume Duch, Minister for European Union and External Action of the Generalitat of Catalonia, concluded by stating, “Global societal progress is only possible when we integrate everyone, regardless of their origins, accepting newcomers as citizens from the moment they arrive. We must eradicate racism and discrimination from our societies.”