Demonstrators hold a Black Lives Matter banner during a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in front of the at Grand Army Plaza in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, June 7, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

GENEVA - The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Monday urged the United States to make immediate structural reforms to end racial discrimination and to uphold its obligations under the relevant international conventions.

In a formal statement published Monday, the committee called on the US government to fully respect the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which the US ratified in 1994, and to ensure a wide understanding of the Convention among its law enforcement officials.

The committee, composed of 18 independent experts, expressed its deep concern at the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the recurrence of killings of unarmed African Americans by police officers and individuals over the years.

The committee also urged the US government to publicly recognize the existence of structural racial discrimination in society, as well as to unequivocally and unconditionally condemn racially motivated killings of African Americans and other minorities.

"Systemic and structural discrimination have permeated government institutions for centuries, stripping African Americans of their rights to equal treatment before the tribunals, threatening their personal security, and depriving them of their civil, economic, social and cultural rights embodied in the Convention," said Noureddine Amir, chairperson of the committee.