The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said it was "deeply concerned" by the Supreme Court ruling in June that shredded five decades of constitutional protections and prompted several right-leaning states to impose immediate abortion bans.

The committee of 18 independent experts, which evaluates how countries adhere to an international convention on eliminating racial discrimination, warned of "the consequent profound disparate impact on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of racial and ethnic minorities".

"That decision is very unfortunate," said Faith Dikeledi Pansy Tlakula, a CERD committee member from South Africa and its lead expert on the US situation.

She called for US authorities "to address the disparate impact of the court decision on racial minorities, indigenous women and those with low income".

Washington must also "take measures to mitigate the risk of criminal prosecution" of women seeking abortions and their service providers, she added.

Following the first regular review of the US record since 2014, the experts issued a report listing concerns on a raft of issues, including racial profiling, excessive police violence and unequal access to education, housing and a healthy environment.

They asked US authorities to respond on most issues before the next review expected in 2026 but for some matters, including the threat to reproductive health rights, they requested a more urgent response.

During the review of the US record, held in Geneva earlier this month, the CERD committee for the first time also addressed the thorny issue of reparations.

Rights advocates argue that the country’s legacy of slavery and subsequent periods marked by exploitation, segregation and violence continue to be seen in economic, health, education, law enforcement and housing policies and practices.

In its report on Tuesday, the committee said it was "concerned that the lingering legacies of colonialism and slavery continue to fuel racism and racial discrimination".

The experts urged Washington to create a "commission to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans".

Committee members told reporters that US authorities had indicated their willingness to look into doing so, but had not provided a timeline.

"We welcome the committee's first-ever call to provide redress for slavery," Jamil Dakwar, head of the American Civil Liberties Union's human rights program, told AFP.

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