United Against Racism: Eliminating Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

At UN Global Compact Network Canada, we're deeply committed to eradicating racial discrimination in the workplace, aligning our efforts with the Ten Principles focusing on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, and the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our engagement with the 50 – 30 Challenge exemplifies our dedication to creating diverse, equal, and inclusive leadership representation in the Canadian corporate sector, breaking down systematic barriers and outdated policies that promote racial discrimination.

The 2024 theme for the United Nations ‘International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination ’ is A Decade of Recognition, Justice and Development: Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent’. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. Dedicating this year’s ‘International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination’ to the last year of the International Decade for People of African Descent which commenced on 1 January 2015 and ended on 31 December 2024, with the theme “People of African Descent: recognition, justice and development.”, highlights a collective commitment to #fightracism and eliminate racial discrimination for people of African descent. It is also a solemn reminder of the generational suffering, injustice, racial division and discrimination that people of African descent have suffered for centuries. In the Americas alone, an estimated 200 million people identify as people of African descent with many more millions living across the globe, outside of the African continent.?

Yet, even today, there is a need to reinforce a commitment to #fightracism and eliminate racial discrimination for people of African descent in every sphere. From a human rights perspective, it is integral to develop an awareness of their history, demographic and diasporic considerations which will lead us to a deeper understanding of the intersectional identities of people of African descent - especially with a widespread population in diverse geographies. Continued injustice and racial discrimination hinder building a diversified and inclusive society, a huge detriment to social and economic growth.??

In an ideal world, discussions about economic inequality stemming from social exclusion wouldn't be necessary. However, the reality demands that we address how racial discrimination and the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces disproportionately affect people of African descent. A study from McKinsey highlights that individuals of African descent are often situated in lower-paying frontline jobs and face significant employment barriers due to systemic racial biases. These barriers extend to underrepresentation in leadership roles and higher-paying industries. The stark disparity in earnings and opportunities signals an urgent need for systemic change. Without concerted efforts, achieving parity for employees of African descent in the private sector could take nearly a century. This underscores the critical necessity to eliminate racial discrimination in the workforce, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive and lead, regardless of their racial background.

Understanding that racial discrimination is a huge setback for gaining employment and excelling in career trajectories, UN Global Compact Network Canada in 2021 was awarded funding for the 50 – 30 Challenge: The Future is Equal: Enabling Ecosystems of Support in Canada . The Challenge funded by the Government of Canada (Innovation, Science and Economic Development), is a harbinger to support growth and leadership in the workplace for equity deserving groups and greater gender parity. The Challenge outcomes are to encourage Canadian organizations to attain the following representation targets for board of directors and/or senior management roles:?

• Gender parity of 50% women/ non-binary people; and,
• Significant representation (30%) of systemically underrepresented groups including those who identify as racialized, black and/or people of colour (visible minority), people with disabilities, LGBTQI2S+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals, and Indigenous peoples.?

At present, there are over 2,300 Canadian organizations (small, medium, and large) signed up for the Challenge and pledged to embed these goals into their organizations. UN Global Compact Canada, as an ecosystem partner to the 50 – 30 Challenge has partnered with the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) to launch free capacity-building workshops for all employees of organizations that signed up to the 50 – 30 Challenge. Currently, representation from over 300 of these organizations have participated in our workshops which focus on numerous topics such as DEI Fundamentals and Unconscious Bias, Respect: Workplace Wellbeing, Talent Management modules, Intercultural Competence, Power and Privilege, Inclusive Leadership and DEI Metrics and Analytics. The project which is in its last year, ending in March 2025, has an outcome to feature 20 organizations in separate case studies, vis a vis their learnings and their application from the workshops into their organizations. Projects like the 50 – 30 Challenge can push companies to make diversity, equity and inclusion part of their organizational values and implement them with just as much importance.?

UN Global Compact Network Canada is committed to guiding Canadian businesses toward sustainable and ethical practices, emphasizing human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption principles. By aligning with the #TenPrinciples of the United Nations Global Compact and #GlobalGoals, we focus on creating an inclusive, equitable business landscape.?

Racism and racial discrimination have been indelibly imprinted into the bedrock of the organization, within its networks and ensuring those that it is partnering with uphold the same benchmarks, through Principle 1 - Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; Principle 2 - make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses and Principle 6) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. It also pushes the Global Goals in the business sector, in particular focus for International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, it focuses on Goal 5 : Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls, Goal 8: Promote Inclusive, Sustainable Economic Growth, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All, Goal 10 : Reduce Inequality Within and Amongst Countries. Our efforts to combat racism and discrimination are foundational, particularly in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, where we emphasize Global Goals related to gender equality, economic growth, and reduced inequalities.

In a world where racial discrimination has long affected people's lives and opportunities, our initiatives like the 50 – 30 Challenge represent our dedication to fostering an inclusive future. By addressing racial discrimination proactively, we not only fight racism but also support the creation of workplaces where everyone is valued and empowered. This commitment is central to our mission, driving us to advocate for justice and equality in business practices across Canada and beyond.

Learn more about our commitment to the 50 – 30 Challenge here .

Written by Shanul Kazi (She / Her) , Project Manager 50 - 30 Challenge, UN Global Compact Network Canada