This conference aims to address the prevailing issues that have hindered the progress on the ratification of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in Malaysia. As Malaysia has arrived at a new juncture with the change of the government, the pledge by the newly appointed Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to push for the signing and the ratification of all the six international human rights conventions is a sign that the new Pakatan Harapan government is serious to promote the principles of inclusiveness, good governance, freedom, human rights and sustainable development. This is in line with the Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto which indicates the government’s efforts to ensure equality, eliminate discrimination in all respects, and criminalise racial and religious hatred in accordance with the Federal Constitution.