The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Friday, the 8th of December, 2023, issued its findings on Germany after reviewing the State party in its 111th session.
The Committee was disturbed by the increasing number of extremist organizations and groups, including right-wing extremist political parties, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose program is reportedly based on a national-ethnic concept. The Committee called on Germany to implement effective measures to prevent and combat the creation and registration of organizations or groups, including political parties that promote and incite racial hatred and to ensure that electoral democratic processes do not tolerate such groups, including political parties that promote ideas of superiority of one race. The Committee was also concerned about alleged racial profiling and excessive use of force and ill-treatment by law enforcement officers against ethnic minorities. The Committee asked Germany to prohibit racial profiling by law and establish an independent complaint mechanism to investigate all such abuses. The Committee also voiced its concern over the lack of a full reparation for colonial wrongdoings. The Committee recommended that Germany implement comprehensive restitution and compensation for the descendants of victims. It also asked the State party to adopt an extensive policy for repatriating colonial objects and cultural artefacts, particularly the restitution and repatriation of ancestors’ human remains.