A UN body has slammed the United States' record on racism, suggesting a halt to the death penalty and immediate moves to stamp out police brutality.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination unveiled three pages of preliminary conclusions, almost two weeks after the US presented it with its first-ever report on how it was combating discrimination.
The body of 18 independent experts, who monitor how signatory countries comply with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, noted a disturbing correlation between race, both of the victim and the defendant, and the imposition of the death penalty in America. It called on the US to ensure that no death penalty was imposed as a result of racial bias, perhaps by pronouncing a moratorium.
In April, the UN Commission on Human Rights backed a worldwide suspension of the death penalty, but the US joined a minority of Arab, African and Asian states in rejecting the call.
Some 54 per cent of people currently on Death Row in the US come from a minority background, although minorities make up just 20 per cent of the population, according to human rights activists.
In its report, final details of which will be released at the end of the week, the UN committee expressed concern about police brutality, urging the US to begin training its police force to combat prejudices and take firm action to punish racially motivated violence.
Washington said in its submission to the Committee earlier this month that it had taken steps to ensure protection against discrimination but acknowledged more still had to be done.