International Day for People of African Descent

On the International Day for People of African Descent, we honour the immense and diverse contributions of people of African descent to the vast spectrum of human achievements, and their tireless efforts to create a better world. The leadership, courage, and activism of people of African descent have helped overcome profound injustices, saved lives, improved societies, and brought crucial issues to the world’s attention. Yet the intolerable legacies of enslavement and colonialism endure. Systemic racism is rife and continues to mutate into new forms – including in new technologies, where algorithms can amplify discrimination. We must build on the work of people of African descent with global action to eradicate the scourge of racism and racial discrimination. At the United Nations, this is a priority, and we have established a new Anti-Racism Office. This will drive implementation of our strategic plan to address racism in the workplace. We also need governments to take the lead – by ...

Drawing on the above-mentioned frameworks and contributions of stakeholders, this section outlines key elements for a comprehensive approach to reparatory justice grounded in international human rights law. Reparatory justice is not just about addressing the wrongful acts of the past , it is abou t building societies that are truly inclusive, equal and free from racism and discrimination . A comprehensive approach should, therefore, address the past, present and future. It should be participatory, gender-sensitive and inclusive and should combine a plurality of measures aimed at restitution, rehabilitation, compensation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition.  The design and implementation of reparatory justice measures should be guided by people of African descent through effective, meaningful and equal participation (A/HRC/47/53, para. 63, and A/HRC/54/66, annex). The rights of victims and civil society to participate in processes of accountability and redress, including...

  Africans and people of African descent were victims of enslavement, the trade in enslaved Africans, including the transatlantic trade, and colonialism (A/CONF.189/12 and A/CONF.189/12/Corr.1, chap. I, paras. 13, 14 and 100, and A/RES/69/16, annex, para. 17 (i)). It is estimated that between 25 and 30 million people were violently uprooted from Africa for enslavement (A/HRC/47/53, para. 55). The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans caused the largest and most concentrated deportation of human beings, involving several regions of the world during more than four centuries.2 Slavery and the slave trade are prohibited under international human rights law and enslavement has been recognized among the acts constituting, under specific circumstances, a crime against humanity.3 This was also recognized in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of 2001, when it states that these offences are a crime against humanity and should have always been so, especially the transatlantic s...

  Reparatory justice requires a comprehensive and multipronged approach grounded in international human rights law, including, where appropriate, the right to adequate, effective and prompt reparation. States should consider a plurality of measures to address the past legacies of enslavement and colo - nialism and their lasting consequences with a view to seeking the truth, defin - ing the harm, pursuing justice and reparations, and contributing to non-repe - tition and reconciliation. In that regard, States are encouraged to be guided by the recommendations made by United Nations human rights mechanisms and in the High Commissioner’s agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality. Strong leadership and political will from States and the international community are needed to overcome the challenges to addressing the entrenched legacies of colonialism, enslavement and the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, and to effectively redress the situation of peo...