This day is about remembering the past and taking action today
The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, which operated between the fifteenth and late nineteenth centuries, involved the horrific trafficking of millions of women, men and children, mostly from West Africa to the Americas. This forced displacement enriched imperial and other powers. It also gave rise to false narratives of white supremacy and racial inferiority, which were used to justify this shameful practice and which continue to plague our societies today. Because the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans had a direct effect on our modern conceptions of race, an understanding of this period is necessary to fight its legacies, including racism and prejudice. The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is, therefore, not just about remembering the past. It is about taking action today to dismantle the structures that continue to hold back people of African descent.
This day is about education
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a time for reflection. But it is also a time for education. Despite myths to the contrary, enslaved Africans enriched the Americas not just through their labour but also through a transfer of vital skills and knowledge. In addition, rather than accepting their fate, they engaged in powerful acts of resistance. The United Nations works to highlight such stories through its Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, which is managed by the Department of Global Communications, and the , which is run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ().
How did this day come about?
In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly, through , recognized that “the slave trade and slavery are among the worst violations of human rights in the history of humanity, bearing in mind particularly their scale and duration” and designated 25 March 2007 as the International Day for the Commemoration of the Two-hundredth Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The following year, through , it designated 25 March as an annual International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, beginning in 2008.
Why 25 March?
The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed in the United Kingdom on 25 March 1807. From that day on, “all manner of dealing and reading in the purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of slaves or of persons intending to be sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as slaves, practiced or carried in, at, or from any part of the coast or countries of Africa shall be abolished, prohibited and declared to be unlawful”. However, while the act abolished the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, it did not abolish slavery, which still continued for decades. The abolition followed powerful and sustained acts of resistance by enslaved Africans, including the Haitian revolution, which led to the establishment in 1804 of the Republic of Haiti – the first nation to become independent as a result of the struggle of enslaved women and men.
The Ark of Return
The Permanent Memorial was unveiled on 25 March 2015, which marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Visitors can pass through the Ark of Return to intimately experience the extreme conditions under which millions of African people were transported during the Middle Passage.
Events
2024 Calendar of Events at 缅北禁地Headquarters
30th anniversary of UNESCO Programme
In 2024, the Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme celebrates its 30th anniversary. Activities are organized throughout the year by UNESCO, its Member States and its partners. See
Resources
- Secretary-General’s Reports
- Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery
- International Decade for People of African Descent
- Fight Racism