CCAM invited to the UN 

Montreal, April 11, 2024

The Montreal Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre (CCAM) is proud to announce that the organization has been invited by the Government of Canada to be part of the delegation representing the country at the third session of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent. This international event will take place from April 16 to 19, 2024 at the Palais des Nations of the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent is a global forum created by the United Nations to promote and protect the rights of people of African descent worldwide. This third session will bring together representatives of governments, civil society and international organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing communities of African descent. The presence and participation of the CCAM at this major forum is a unique opportunity for the organization to meet and exchange with key global players working for the advancement of black communities. The organization's agenda will focus on three key priorities:

1. Systematic appreciation of the contribution of Black communities to Canadian society as a tool in the fight against racism
2. The necessity and importance of public investment in cultural infrastructure projects that promote the art and cultural heritage of Black Canadian communities
3. The importance of art and culture as engines of real economic development for Black Canadian communities

 The CCAM will also take advantage of its presence in Geneva to share on the international stage the work and efforts the organization is making in Canada to preserve and promote the cultural and artistic heritage of black communities.

"We are honoured to be able to contribute to these crucial discussions and to represent the diversity and richness of the culture of Canadians of African descent on an international scale," says Allen Alexandre, Executive Director of CCAM, who will represent the organization in Geneva and bring his leadership, knowledge and commitment to the session.

We look forward to sharing the results of this session and the actions taken to advance the cause of people of African descent around the world.

About the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent

On August 2, 2021, the General Assembly adopted resolution 75/314, in which it formally established the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent as "a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other stakeholders that will work to improve the security, quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, will be an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, in accordance with the [...] programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent [and] will work in close coordination with existing mechanisms".

The creation of such a body had been decided by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 69/16 dated November 18, 2014 and entitled "Programme of activities relating to the International Decade for People of African Descent".

The third session of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent will be held from April 16 to 19, 2024 at the Palais des Nations of the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

About CCAM

The Montreal Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre (CCAM) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and promote the cultural and artistic heritage of Black communities, while embodying harmony between cultures and Canadians of all origins. The CCAM was founded to meet a pressing need for spaces and resources that would enable Black communities to express themselves in culturally authentic ways.