Truth-seeking and truth-telling processes.

 Truth-seeking and truth-telling processes are a form of satisfaction that contribute to repairing harm through the verification and full and public disclosure of facts (A/HRC/47/CRP.1, para. 253). All people should know the truth about past crimes and the circumstances and reasons that led to their perpetration (E/CN.4/2005/102/Add.1, principle 2). Establishing the truth about the historical root causes of systemic racism and racial discrimination may provide a safeguard against recurrence. It is essential for international reconciliation and the creation of societies based on justice, equality and solidarity (A/CONF.189/12 and A/CONF.189/12/Corr.1, chap. I, para. 106). 

To give effect to the right to truth, appropriate action should be taken to consult with affected persons to determine ways of establishing a proper factual account of historical wrongs and possible violations committed (E/CN.4/2005/102/ Add.1, principle 5). The full participation of affected communities and the cooperation of States and other stakeholders concerned are of paramount importance for the success of fact-finding processes (A/76/180, paras. 45, 50 and 52, and A/HRC/42/59/Add.1, para. 75). Some States, as well as local governments and authorities, have initiated truth-seeking processes. Most recently, in Colombia the President created a national intersectoral commission on historical reparation to overcome the effects of racism, racial discrimination and colonialism on ethnic communities. This decision followed the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report in July 2022, which addressed the impact of the armed conflict on ethnic populations, including on people of African descent.

In Belgium, the parliamentary commission established to look into the country’s colonial past presented its recommendations in December 2022, which were not endorsed by the Parliament. 

In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Advisory Board of the Slavery History Dialogue Group, which was established in 2020, issued its final report in July 2021 in which it recommended that the State proceed, among other measures, with recognition of, apologies for and recovery from the history of slavery. 

Promoting academic research and in-depth analysis of the history of enslavement and colonialism and its ongoing impact also contributes to establishing the truth. The Slave Trade Archives Project of UNESCO has contributed to improving access to and the safeguarding of original documents related to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery throughout the world.

 As part of truth-seeking and truth-telling processes, States should take actions to prevent the disappearance of evidence and ensure access to archives (E/CN.4/2005/102/Add.1, principle 5). The collection and dissemination of information related to the legacies of enslavement and colonialism from historical sources helps to ground public debates in evidence and counteract harmful misconceptions. It also has the potential to empower people of African descent (A/77/333, para. 10, and A/HRC/47/CRP.1, para. 296). Business enterprises should also assess their own links to and how they benefited from enslavement and colonialism in their ongoing and past operations (A/HRC/47/CRP.1, para. 302). For instance, in the United States of America, several states and local communities have passed disclosure ordinances, requiring businesses to search and reveal records of their involvement in slavery and the slave trade.