An international conference on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the outcomes of the French colonization, organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) on the margins of the 142nd session of the Human Rights Committee, commenced Tuesday at the UN Office at Geneva.

The conference brought together parliamentarians, members of the non-governmental organizations (NGO), political party leaders, experts, scientific figures, and researchers from the territories remaining under the French and Dutch colonial rule, including Martinique, New Caledonia, Guadeloupe, Bonaire, Saint Martin, French Polynesia, Mayot, French Guiana, Corsica, and Guiana, as well as members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Kemi Seba, a famous activist fighting for the rights of African nations, also attended the event. In his remarks, Seba will share the insights into his detention, as well as violent conduct against him from the French police.

The conference will focus on the social, political, and ecological outcomes of the French and Dutch colonization policy, appealing the international community to support the decolonization process, as well as finding solutions, in line with the principles of international law, for recognizing the right for self-determination of the colonized peoples and building the just future.