Meeting of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the slave trade a grave crime against humanity Human rights
The world still lives in the shadow of a system that has dominated for 400 years – a system “born of greed, built on lies and maintained by violence.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with these words at a meeting at the UN General Assembly dedicated to the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
At the initiative of Ghana, a resolution was put up for voting in the General Assembly recognizing the “trade in enslaved Africans” as a grave crime against humanity. The delegates accepted it by a majority vote. The document was supported by 123 countries, three states – the USA, Israel and Argentina – were against it, and 52 – abstained.
Purposeful dehumanization
The UN Secretary General emphasized that slavery was not just a historical crime, but the foundation of an unjust global economic system.
“This was not just forced labor. It was a system of mass exploitation and targeted dehumanization of men, women and children,” the UN chief said.
He recalled that the ideology of racial superiority was created specifically to justify this system, and its echoes continue to manifest themselves in politics, economics and public life. According to Guterres, the fight against racism cannot be achieved without an honest recognition of how deeply ingrained these misconceptions are.
The Secretary-General paid special attention to the need for real action, both at the geopolitical and national level: from expanding the participation of African countries in global financial structures to ensuring “reparations justice.”
“We must turn memories into progress and memory into responsibility. The world we strive for – based on freedom, equality and justice – is within reach,” Guterres said.
He called on states to act boldly, recalling that a world based on equality and dignity will not arise on its own. “We have an obligation to honor the victims not with words, but with our work,” the UN chief emphasized.
Eliminating injustice is a moral imperative
Chairman of the General Assembly Annalena Burbock noted that slavery was one of the most serious violations human rights in history. Its consequences continue to shape the lives of descendants of victims of the slave trade and entire countries, manifested in poverty and discrimination.
“Addressing these injustices is a moral imperative rooted in a collective responsibility to confront past crimes and shape a more just future,” Burbock said.
She stressed that while systemic slavery is a thing of the past, its roots – discrimination, exploitation and human rights violations – continue to manifest in new forms, including human trafficking and forced labor.
“We must therefore continually strive for justice while remaining active participants in the fight for dignity, accountability and equality for all generations,” Burbock said.