A world free of racial discrimination: Integrating legal redress into the United Nations development goals

Abstract

The pursuit of global sustainability remains incomplete without confronting racial discrimination, a structural barrier that continues to shape access to resources, justice, and environmental security. From the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the current global development agenda, no framework has established a specific goal dedicated to eliminating racial discrimination. This omission has allowed systemic inequities to persist within efforts aimed at poverty reduction, climate action, and sustainable resource management. For instance, environmental initiatives under SDG 13 on Climate Action often fail to protect marginalised racial and ethnic communities who disproportionately bear the burdens of pollution, displacement, and resource depletion. Although the United Nations has taken important steps through the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), these mechanisms rely on national political will, consistent reporting, and voluntary compliance, resulting in uneven enforcement and limited global accountability. To achieve meaningful and equitable progress, the principles of ICERD must be integrated more effectively into the international development framework. This review examines the socio-economic and environmental costs of racial discrimination, analyses its intersection with existing global goals, and highlights regional disparities in access to justice. To be more specific, this review argues that a world free of racial discrimination must be established as a standalone development goal, a critical oversight in both the MDGs and the current SDGs, which future global development frameworks must not repeat. It concludes that eradicating racial discrimination must become a central, measurable commitment of the global development agenda, ensuring that sustainability and equality advance hand in hand.