Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Abolishing Slavery and its Contemporary Forms

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Abolishing Slavery
The current realities in the aftermath of slavery and colonialism, including the legal implica-
tions of the slave trade and the conditions of persons of African descent in all continents,
including Europe; [and] . . .
Recognition, remedies, redress mechanisms and reparations for racial discrimination for vic-
tims and descendants of victims of racism, including for example affirmative action and com-
pensation, accurate textbooks on historical events, memorials and truth commissions, as well
as independent mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of remedies and redress mech-
anisms.”
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146. While the Declaration acknowledges that the transatlantic slave trade and slavery were
“appalling tragedies” in history and are a source of racism and related intolerance,
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it states little
in terms of express reparations for descendants of victims of slavery. The Declaration notes that
“some States have taken the initiative to apologize and have paid reparation, where appropriate,
for grave and massive violations committed,”
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and it suggests that States find appropriate ways
to restore the dignity of victims
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and calls on States to take measures to halt and reverse the last-
ing consequences of such practices.
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In addition, the Final Declaration urges States to ensure
the right of victims to seek just and adequate reparation and satisfaction.
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In conclusion, the WCAR “acknowledge[d] that slavery and the slave trade, including the transat-
lantic slave trade, were appalling tragedies in the history of humanity not only because of their
abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude, organized nature and especially their
negation of the essence of the victims, and further acknowledge that slavery and the slave trade
are a crime against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transatlantic slave
trade, and are among the major sources and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xeno-
phobia and related intolerance, and that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and peo-
ple of Asian descent and indigenous peoples were victims of these acts and continue to be victims
of their consequences.”