Addressing the General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that systemic racism, economic exclusion and racial violence continue to deny people of African descent the opportunity to thrive.
He called on governments to acknowledge the truth and finally honour the trade’s legacy by taking action.
“For too long, the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade – and their ongoing impact – have remained unacknowledged, unspoken and unaddressed,” he said, denouncing erasure of history, rewriting of narratives and dismissal of slavery’s intrinsic harm.
“The obscene profits derived from chattel slavery and the racist ideologies that underpinned the trade are still with us,” he added.
Four centuries of abuse
For over four centuries, an estimated 25 to 30 million Africans – nearly a third of the continent’s population at the time – were forcibly taken from their homelands. Many did not survive the brutal journey across the Atlantic.
The exploitation and suffering – families torn apart, entire communities decimated and generations condemned to bondage – was driven by greed and sustained by racist ideologies, which remain today.
Honouring and remembering those who suffered, the UN in 2007 designated March 25 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The date marks the passage of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in the United Kingdom in 1807, three years after the Haitian Revolution. The revolution led to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti – the first country to gain independence based on the actions of enslaved men and women.
Forced to pay for their freedom
Even after slavery was abolished, the UN chief noted, its victims were not compensated and, in many cases, formerly enslaved people were forced to pay for their freedom.
Haiti, for instance, had to make massive payouts to those who profited from its suffering, a financial burden that set the young nation on a path of enduring economic hardship.
“Today is not only a day of remembrance. It is also a day to reflect on the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism and to strengthen our resolve to combat those evils today,” Mr. Guterres said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the General Assembly meeting to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance.
Move forward with resolve
Mr. Guterres urged governments, businesses and civil society to take decisive action against racism and discrimination, urging nations to fully implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to comply with their human rights obligations.
“Acknowledging this truth is not only necessary – it is vital for addressing past wrongs, healing the present and building a future of dignity and justice for all,” he stressed.
Stains not easily erased
The President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, echoed the Secretary-General’s concerns, stating that while slavery was formally abolished, its legacy persists in racial inequalities that span generations.
“The stains of injustice are not easily erased,” he said, pointing to ongoing disparities in housing, employment, healthcare, education and criminal justice systems.
He stressed that addressing these injustices requires not only acknowledgment but concrete policy changes that ensure equity and inclusion.
Mr. Yang also underscored the importance of education in confronting these painful legacies. He called for a global effort to integrate comprehensive histories of slavery and its aftermath into school curricula, emphasising that an informed society is better equipped to challenge prejudice and foster empathy.
The Ark of Return
This year’s commemoration also marked the tenth anniversary of the Ark of Return, the permanent memorial at the UN Headquarters in New York to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, located at UN Headquarters in New York.
Standing solemnly against the backdrop of the East River, the Ark of Return greets world leaders, government officials and the public as they enter UN Headquarters – a white-marble monument to the resilience and resistance of those who endured the horrors of slavery.
Designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, it also educates future generations about the ongoing dangers of racism and exclusion.
Click here to read UN News’ interview with Mr. Leon
A living monument to memory and justice
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka (Literature, 1986) also address the commemoration in New York, having paid his respects at the Ark of Return.
Acknowledging the significance of the monument and its prominence at UN Headquarters, Mr. Soyinka urged world leaders to go further by transforming static monuments into living, evolving spaces that not only honour the past but propel humanity toward justice.
“It is impossible to quantify reparations for such a global atrocity,” he said, emphasising the power of symbolism.
He proposed another expression of remembrance dubbed the “Heritage Voyage of Return”, which would trace the paths of the transatlantic ships, stopping at historic ports of enslavement along the West African coast and beyond.
This Voyage, he suggested, could serve as a living exposition – housing repatriated African artifacts, hosting cultural exhibitions and creating spaces for education, dialogue and artistic expression.
Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet and Nobel Laureate, delivers a keynote address to the commemorative meeting of the General Assembly to mark the International Day of Remembrance.
Turn the tide, flip the phrase
Salome Agbaroji, a young poet from the United States also spoke at the Commemoration, urging people of African descent to tell their “full and true” stories.
“Turn the tide, flip the phrase to reclaim our personhood and our narratives…your value goes far beyond the human labour you provide but lies in the vibrancy of your culture and innovations,” she said.
Echoing Secretary-General António Guterres’ emphasis on the need to acknowledge the horrors or slavery and dispel false narratives, she called for greater support for educational programmes to inform and empower young people.
