Monday, the United Nations called on the countries of the world to take measures "immediately" to combat systemic racism to avoid a recurrence of events such as the death of George Floyd, days after the policeman who killed him was convicted.

"Only approaches that address both endemic law enforcement deficiencies and systemic racism - and their origins - do justice to the memory of George Floyd and so many others who have lost their lives or been irreparably affected," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

This came at the beginning of the publication of a report on racism that the United Nations Human Rights Council requested to be prepared after Floyd's killing on May 25 last year. The Black American is a symbol of victims of police and racial violence in the United States.

"I call on all nations to stop denying and dismantle racism; end impunity and build trust; listen to the voices of people of African descent; and confront and redress past legacies," Bachelet said.

The 60-page report notes that "there is today a very important opportunity to mark a turning point in racial equality and justice."

Derek Chauvin, the white policeman who crushed George Floyd's neck under his knee for several minutes, causing his death, was sentenced Friday to 22 and a half years in prison, a harsh sentence unmatched in the United States and reflecting the global impact of the tragedy.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that the killing of George Floyd and the "mass demonstrations" that followed around the world already constituted a "decisive moment in the fight against racism" that must be seized.

In the press release accompanying the report, Bachelet said that this mobilization allowed "awareness of long-overdue racism and put the systemic nature of racism at the center of discussions."

This systemic or institutional racism, which is manifested in the practices of social and political institutions, leads to the economic and political marginalization of Africans or people of African descent, as they do not have the same access to education or a good standard of health care, or are underrepresented in society.

In this regard, the report calls on states to “adopt measures to mobilize all public authorities” to implement plans for which “sufficient resources” are allocated.

- Ethnic data -

The report also stresses the importance of data in “understanding and unpacking the divergent dynamics of systemic racism” and “to collect and analyze data disaggregated by race and ethnicity,” and considers it the only one capable of providing “a better understanding of the scope of systemic racism… and monitoring of the effectiveness of strategic measures taken.”

The report also notes that racism defines how Africans "interact with representatives of the law and the criminal justice system."

In France, a 2016 report confirmed that black or North African youth are 20 times more likely to undergo identity checks than others.

The High Commission examined 190 deaths of Africans or people of African descent when dealing with the police.

"In many of the cases examined... the victims did not present an imminent threat of death or injury so severe that it justified the level of force used," the report wrote, calling for "strong measures to end impunity, ensure accountability and provide reparation to victims and their families in line with the law."