The Coordination Mechanism of Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS) has officially welcomed a new constituency — the People of African Descent Stakeholder Group (PAD SG).
Launched in 2025, the PAD SG brings together organizations, networks, and individuals committed to promoting and protecting the rights of over 200 million people of African descent worldwide. This diverse global community spans all five continents and is rooted in a shared history shaped by displacement, enslavement, systemic racism, and resilience.
The establishment of the PAD SG builds on the legacy of the 2001 Durban World Conference against Racism and comes at the transition from the First to the Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034). It seeks to ensure that the unfinished agendas of recognition, justice, and development are embedded within the 2030 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, and other global frameworks.
The group’s mission is clear: to guarantee meaningful participation of people of African descent in UN decision-making and monitoring, ensuring their realities and priorities are fully integrated into sustainable development efforts. Its work spans key areas including racial and climate justice, gender equality, health, decent work, and equitable global partnerships.
By institutionalizing representation, the PAD SG affirms that sustainable development is inseparable from racial justice, historical reparations, and the recognition of ancestral knowledge. It is both a platform for collaboration and a continuation of centuries of struggle, transforming invisibility into representation and marginalization into leadership.
Learn more about their work and get involved at africandescentstakeholdergroup.org
