International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

The Director-General very much regrets that he cannot be here today and sends his best regards. He has asked me to deliver the following remarks on his behalf:

“Ladies and gentlemen:

It is an honor to join you in commemorating the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Thank you to everyone involved, in particular the Permanent Delegation of the African Union, for bringing us together.

Today, we remember the more than 15 million people abducted from their homes in Africa and taken by force to the Americas, bought and sold, exploited, robbed of their dignity, and often killed. Countless perished on the journey.

We celebrate the heroes who opposed, and ultimately vanquished, this crime against humanity that lasted over 400 years.

But much as we celebrate our progress, we cannot let it cloud the fact that our work is not done. The struggles that follow the victory of liberty and formal equality may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less important.

We must recognize the enduring legacy of slavery even in the present moment. Racism persists. Traumas linger. Structural inequalities established long ago continue to distort economic balances between and within countries today. In every region, many communities of African descent do not have equal rights to education, housing and employment; while countries that grew rich on the slave trade still profit of their inheritance.

C’est pour cela que l’Assemblée générale a proclamé une Décennie internationale des personnes d’ascendance africaine (2015 – 2024), sous le thème: « Reconnaissance, justice et développement ». Et la journée que nous célébrons aujourd’hui n’a pas pour seul objectif d’honorer la mémoire des victimes. Elle nous rappelle également que nous devons sensibiliser le public, et surtout les jeunes, aux dangers du racisme et de préjugés.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The great statesman and former slave Frederick Douglass once said that “no man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.” We know that even if the slavery of Douglass’ time has been abolished, other forms have emerged to blight our world, including human trafficking and forced and bonded labor. Heeding the lessons of yesterday means fighting these ills today.

Let us unite against racism, hatred and discrimination which can easily lead to dehumanization and enslavement. And let us forge ahead in our quest for a world of freedom and dignity for all.”

These were the words of the Director-General. Thank you.