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

Every year, on March 25, the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, is an occasion to honor and remember those who are victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

The Transatlantic Slave Trade

In the past, the transatlantic slave trade is not only the largest forced migration, but also one of the most inhumane. The massive African migration that has spread many regions of the world over a period of 400 years is unprecedented in the recorded annals of human history.

Influenced by the transatlantic slave trade, the largest movement of Africans was to the Americas with 96% of those captured from African shores arriving on ships in South America and the Caribbean.

Between 1501 and 1830, four Africans crossed the Atlantic for every one European, making the demographics of the Americas for that era more like an extension of the African diaspora. The legacy of this migration remains to this day.

Commemorating the victims

In resolution 62/122 of 17 December 2007, the General Assembly declared 25 March the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slavery and it is celebrated every year.

The resolution also calls for the establishment of an outreach program to mobilize educational institutions, civil society and other organizations to inculcate in future generations "the causes, consequences and lessons of transatlantic slave trade, and to convey the dangers of racism and prejudice."

History

First observed in 2008 following a resolution in December 2007, the day honoring and remembering the more than 15 million men, women and children who suffered atrocities under slavery has existed for more than 400 years. The legacy of inhuman forced migration - 96% of those arrested to South America and the Caribbean islands - is a large number of people of African descent in the Americas. The port city of Portobelo in Panama, was an important marker of the transatlantic slave trade the enslaved perilous journey across the ocean, then taken to different places.

In spite of being abolished, slavery continues in different forms until nowadays, being the ultimate violation of autonomy. Another legacy of a barbaric system where people are seen as "different" and "inferior": racism and prejudice. This year's theme is "Ending Slavery's Legacy of Racism: A Global Command for Justice", which reflects the global movement to end injustices stemming from the slave trade and teaching history to acknowledge the impact of slavery on today's world and promote action to address the Lasting Effect.

The Ark of Return, a permanent Memorial, is to honor victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Designed by American architect Rodney Leon, it was unveiled at the United Nations in New York on March 25, 2015 and is a reminder that the legacies of slavery. During this time of physical isolation, the United Nations Remembering Slavery Program invites you to visit the Stele of Return.

In a world struck by a global pandemic when inequality emerges from the shadows of ignorance and complacency and when discrimination and hate speech is its own plague, we must not let our guard down in eradicating prejudice and racism that sow division. Our challenge, our legacy is a world without both.