In a major rebuke to France, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has issued urgent concerns over alleged racial profiling and the excessive use of force by French law enforcement.

The UN body, comprising 18 independent experts, has also criticized mass arrests and the detention of protesters alongside reported destruction of private and public property.

CERD has further pushed for the rapid and thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Nahel M, a case which incited significant unrest in the country. The experts insisted on the prosecution and appropriate punishment of those involved if found guilty. This incident and its fallout have spurred the Committee to recommend that France drafts legislation defining and outlawing racial profiling.

Moreover, the UN Committee has urged French authorities to prioritize addressing the systemic and structural causes of racial discrimination prevalent within law enforcement. This push comes in response to a ruling by a French administrative court against the organizers of a march commemorating Nahel, set up by the Adama Traore Foundation. Despite the recent reduction in violence, the court justified its decision by stating that the potential risk to public order remained due to the freshness of the unrest.

The death of Nahel, whose case was flagged by CERD under its early warning and urgent action procedure, has reignited discussions around the continuing practice of racial profiling. The Committee expressed serious concerns about the disproportionate and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials, particularly against individuals of African and Arab descent, often resulting in recurring fatalities with near impunity.

  France, UN CERD, UNO