EVENT: Celebrate the Hour with your community - whether virtually or in-person - and be part of the #BiggestHourForEarth, no matter where you are in the world!
The Biggest Hour for Earth 2023 will be held on Sat, Mar 25, 2023 from 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM. On Saturday, March 25th at 8:30 p.m. local time, join WWF, the United Nations and other partners in switching off your lights and giving an hour for Earth. For ideas on positive actions you can take for our planet.
On International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, we focus attention on the dangers faced by our personnel and partners as they carry out the vital work of the United Nations. We salute their courage and service in some of the most challenging parts of the world — and we call for greater action to ensure their safety and security.
United Nations personnel should never face threats for carrying out their essential mission and serving people. But, the reality is that they may confront deliberate attacks, ambushes, kidnappings, intimidation and unlawful detention. This is unacceptable.
Since 2021, 239 United Nations personnel have been detained, 21 of whom were detained in 2023. In total, 28 United Nations personnel are still in detention. National staff are often at particular risk.
I call on all countries to fully implement the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, as well as the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention, which extends protection to personnel delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance.
Today and every day, we stand in solidarity with all detained colleagues and their families and pledge to protect all United Nations personnel as they work to help the world’s most vulnerable people.
The enslavement of over 13 million Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade was driven by the racist ideology that these women, men and children were inferior because of the colour of their skin. Countless families were torn apart. Scores of human beings lost their lives. Despite experiencing serious human rights violations, and intergenerational trauma over centuries, enslaved people persevered in their resilience, demonstrating courage and defiance against the conditions of enslavement, forced labour, and systemic violence and oppression. The racist legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade reverberates today in harmful prejudices and beliefs which are still being perpetuated and continue to impact people of African descent across the world. Transformative education, which seeks to empower learners to see the social world critically and through an ethical lens to challenge and change the status quo as agents of change is essential to the work of teaching and learning about slavery in order to end racism and injustice and to build inclusive societies based on dignity and human rights for all people, everywhere.
2023 Theme: “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education” The enslavement of over 13 million Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade was driven by the racist ideology that these women, men and children were inferior because of the colour of their skin. Countless families were torn apart. Scores of human beings lost their lives. Despite experiencing serious human rights violations, and intergenerational trauma over centuries, enslaved people persevered in their resilience, demonstrating courage and defiance against the conditions of enslavement, forced labour, and systemic violence and oppression. The racist legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade reverberates today in harmful prejudices and beliefs which are still being perpetuated and continue to impact people of African descent across the world. Transformative education, which seeks to empower learners to see the social world critically and through an ethical lens to challenge and change the status quo as agents of change is essential to the work of teaching and learning about slavery in order to end racism and injustice and to build inclusive societies based on dignity and human rights for all people, everywhere. ------------- Today, we pay tribute to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. The evil enterprise of enslavement lasted for over 400 years. Millions of African children, women, and men were trafficked across the Atlantic, ripped from their families and homelands – their communities torn apart, their bodies commodified, their humanity denied. The history of slavery is a history of suffering and barbarity that shows humanity at its worst. But it is also a history of awe-inspiring courage that shows human beings at their best – starting with enslaved people who rose up against impossible odds and extending to the abolitionists who spoke out against this atrocious crime. And yet, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade haunts us to this day. We can draw a straight line from the centuries of colonial exploitation to the social and economic inequalities of today. And we can recognize the racist tropes popularized to rationalize the inhumanity of the slave trade in the white supremacist hate that is resurgent today. It is incumbent on us all to fight slavery’s legacy of racism. The most powerful weapon in our arsenal is education – the theme of this year’s commemoration. By teaching the history of slavery, we help to guard against humanity’s most vicious impulses. By studying the assumptions and beliefs that allowed the practice to flourish for centuries, we unmask the racism of our own time. And by honouring the victims of slavery, we restore some measure of dignity to those who were so mercilessly stripped of it. Today and every day, let us stand united against racism and together build a world in which everyone, everywhere can live lives of liberty, dignity, and human rights.
CAMPAIGN: Mobilize educational institutions, civil society and other organizations to inculcate in future generations the "causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade, and to communicate the dangers of racism and prejudice."
EXHIBIT:An exhibit entitled "Us and Them: From Prejudice to Racism" is on display in the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters from 16 February until 5 April.
In every corner of the world, whether in their home countries or far away, United Nations personnel work tirelessly to serve the people of the world.
This International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members reminds us of the perils that these dedicated women and men often face while carrying out their vital mission and advancing the ideals enshrined in the UN Charter.
Since 2021, 142 UN personnel have been detained, including 15 in 2022 alone. In total, 22 United Nations personnel are still in detention. National staff are often at particular risk and face unacceptable threats to their safety and security.
We continue to monitor these cases and seek the immediate release of all our colleagues. I thank the Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service of the United Nations Staff Union for its steadfast advocacy and vigilance.
UN personnel should never be arrested or detained because of the work they do in carrying out our mandate. I call on all countries to ensure that the necessary privileges and immunities are fully respected, including the immunity from legal process to be accorded to UN personnel pursuant to the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
I also call on all countries, which have not yet done so, to accede to and fully implement the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel as well as the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention, which extends protection to personnel delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance.
The safety of everyone who works with the United Nations is our top priority. On this International Day, let us stand in solidarity with all detained colleagues and pledge to protect all United Nations personnel as they work to advance peace and human rights, protect the planet and build a better future for all.
On the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, we recognize the extreme dangers encountered by so many colleagues as they carry out the vital work of the United Nations.
The threats vary -- from deliberate and deadly ambushes to kidnappings, intimidation and unlawful detention. But the thread is the same: these are unacceptable obstacles to fulfilling our mandates and advancing peace, sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian assistance around the globe. National staff are often at particular risk.
As of 15 March of this year, 20 United Nations personnel are in detention, including six arrested this year, five in 2020 and the rest before that.
Meanwhile, peacekeeping operations continue to be targeted; at least 10 of our personnel have lost their lives this year to malicious attacks.
I urge all countries to support the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel as well as its 2005 Optional Protocol. To date, only 95 countries are party to the Convention, and only 33 to the Protocol.
The United Nations will continue its efforts to protect our personnel, and to pursue justice for the perpetrators of attacks. I thank the Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service of the United Nations Staff Union for its advocacy and vigilance.
Together, we must do everything we can to ensure that those who undertake lifesaving work around the world have the protection and conditions they need to fulfil their vital mission.
***** À l’occasion de la Journée internationale de solidarité avec les membres du personnel détenus ou portés disparus, nous mesurons les dangers extrêmes auxquels tant de nos collègues sont exposés dans le travail essentiel qu’ils accomplissent au nom de l’Organisation.
Les menaces sont diverses – embuscades mortelles, enlèvements, actes d’intimidation et détention illégale – mais toutes font obstacle de manière inacceptable à l’accomplissement de nos mandats et à la promotion de la paix, du développement durable, des droits humains et de l’aide humanitaire dans le monde entier. Le personnel recruté sur le plan national est souvent le plus exposé.
Au 15 mars de cette année, 20 membres du personnel des Nations Unies sont en détention, dont 6 arrêtés cette année, 5 en 2020 et le reste avant cela.
Parallèlement, les opérations de maintien de la paix continuent d’être prises pour cibles ; au moins 10 membres du personnel ont perdu la vie cette année dans des attaques malveillantes.
J’engage tous les pays à soutenir la Convention sur la sécurité du personnel des Nations Unies et du personnel associé de 1994 et son Protocole facultatif de 2005. À ce jour, seuls 95 pays sont parties à la Convention et 33 pays au Protocole.
L’ONU poursuivra ses efforts pour protéger les membres de son personnel et faire en sorte que les auteurs d’attaques soient traduits en justice. Je remercie le Comité permanent sur la sécurité et l’indépendance de la fonction publique internationale du Syndicat du personnel de l’Organisation des Nations Unies de ses activités de sensibilisation et de sa vigilance.
Ensemble, nous devons tout faire pour garantir que les personnes qui accomplissent des activités vitales dans le monde entier bénéficient de la protection dont elles ont besoin pour remplir leur mission essentielle dans des conditions appropriées.
Today we honour the memory of the millions of people of African descent who suffered immeasurably under the evil of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
We remember with humility the resilience of those who endured.
And we acknowledge the immense contributions slaves and their descendants have made to the economies and culture of the countries to which they were forcibly transported.
We must never forget the daily terror experienced by the enslaved peoples, the unthinkable acts of cruelty they endured, the daily reminder that they could lay claim to nothing, not even their own children.
But the slave traders and owners failed to rob the enslaved peoples of dignity and agency.
We remember the acts of resistance and the demands for justice of enslaved peoples.
We recall the courage of leaders like Queen Ana Nzinga of the Kingdom of Ndongo, now Angola, and Toussaint Louverture, of Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, and the peoples they led.
As we honour those whose names we know, we acknowledge the daily courage of the millions whom we will never know except as names on inventory lists drawn up by slave owners, traders and insurance agencies.
We support initiatives to reclaim, recover and reconstitute the history of those who were enslaved.
We also acknowledge that racism is both a cause and a legacy of slavery.
And we recognize that the impact of the slave trade remains visible in racial injustices and inequalities today.
Ending slavery’s legacy of racism is a global imperative for justice.
The transatlantic slave trade is a global history that continues to resonate.
It created and sustained a system of exploitation that existed for over 400 years.
It devastated the economies of those it enslaved.
And it strengthened the colonial project, enriching its multitude of beneficiaries at the expense of the lives of the enslaved.
The racism at the core of the system built on slavery condemned Africans to enduring second-class status.
To provide justification for the slave trade, Africans were consistently portrayed as less than human.
Racist tropes circulated widely, incorporated into sermons, pamphlets and cultural expressions, and given legitimacy by pseudo-science and legislation.
So, while the transatlantic slave trade ended over two centuries ago, the ideas that propelled it remain alive today.
In Europe, the United States and elsewhere, white supremacists are organizing and recruiting across borders.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, white supremacist propaganda reached an all-time high in 2020.
We must counter all lies of racial supremacy.
The irrefutable fact is that we are all equally part of one race – humankind.
When we forget this basic fact, we imperil ourselves.
Repeated acts of racism, by people and institutions, expose the impact of slavery’s legacy.
Last year, they helped to galvanize a worldwide movement for justice and an end to racism.
We must build on this momentum.
Our Organization is built on the demand for global justice and an end to racism and inequality.
This must include action to redress the wrongs of history.
We need to acknowledge and correct the long-lasting effects of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
By tackling inequities and inequalities, by building inclusive communities and economies, and by educating about history, we truly honour the memory of the victims of slavery.
Last month, we received the tragic confirmation of the killing of our
colleague Amer al-Kaissy in Iraq some nine months after he had been abducted. I
repeat my condemnation of this despicable murder and my call on the Iraqi
authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
On this International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff, I
urge intensified efforts to bring all perpetrators of such heinous crimes to
justice, and to end impunity.
Last year, six United Nations personnel were abducted and held hostage by
non-State actors before being released. Twenty United Nations civilian personnel
remain in detention. Five personnel are held by Member States without any
reasons given for the arrests.
This unacceptable silence jeopardizes the individuals concerned while
undermining the larger mission of the United Nations. Personnel, especially
those deployed under dangerous conditions, deserve full protection and rights.
Some are local staff striving to advance progress in their own countries. Others
are far from their respective homes and families. All represent the best of the
United Nations.
I call on all parties to respect the rights, privileges and immunities of
United Nations personnel. I also remind national authorities of their
responsibility for protecting all UN personnel and preventing violations against
them.
All States must also support the 1994 Convention on the Safety of
United Nations and Associated Personnel as well as the 2005 Optional Protocol to
the Convention, which extends legal protection to other humanitarian
workers.
Among the many who were affected by the death of Mr. al-Kaissy, one friend
wrote in tribute a pledge to carry on his vital work. This moving response
testifies to the tenacity and commitment of United Nations staff, who deserve
full protection as they strive to fulfil our mission to foster development,
peace and human rights around the world.
Remember the Fallen : Serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since
the founding of the United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have lost
their lives in its service.
Each year on this day, the United Nations honours the memory of millions of Africans forcibly removed from their families and homelands over hundreds of years.
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade also shines a spotlight on prevailing racism and prejudice today.
It is imperative that we work together for equal opportunity, justice and sustainable development for people of African descent. That is why the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme is reaching out to young and old alike to create awareness, promote understanding and change attitudes.
The theme of this year’s observance is “Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots”.
The dynamic culture and traditions of Africa continue to enrich life in the countries that were once involved in the Transatlantic slave trade.
Africa’s influence and legacy are plain to see in the vibrant music, bold art, rich foods and inspiring literature that infuse modern culture. Less recognized, perhaps, are the contributions that the people of the African diaspora have made to medicine, science, government and general leadership in society.
Tested to the limits of their spirit and endurance, slaves from Africa left their descendants a wide range of invaluable assets, including fortitude, courage, strength, tolerance, patience and compassion. On this Day, let us renew our resolve to fight racism and celebrate the heritage of Africa that enhances societies around the world today.
Ban Ki-moon
The “Ark of Return” the permanent memorial to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, located at the Visitors’ Plaza of UN headquarters in New York
" Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots"
This theme draws attention to the rich African culture and traditions that have impacted life in countries that were involved in the slave trade and where the African Diaspora continues to make major contribution in all aspects of life. It also highlights the cultural linkages that exist among people of African descent throughout the world.
For more information
Follow us on Twitter @rememberslavery and join us on Facebook.
Contact: Remember Slavery Programme, Education Outreach Section,
Outreach Division, Department of Public Information
Special event on the occasion of the International
Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (25
March) (A/RES/62/122) on the theme “Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage
and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots”
Panel discussion on “The
Transatlantic Slave Trade: Constructing New Amistad, Bunce Island, Gullah,
Maroon and Nova Scotia Bridges” (organized by the Permanent Mission of Sierra
Leone, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Jamaica, the Sierra Leone
Monuments and Relics Commission and the United Nations Remember Slavery
Programme, and with the Department of Public Information (DPI))
2016 Commemorative Programme of Activities dedicated to the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Tuesday, 16 February
Private Screening of RACE, AMC Loews 34th Street, New York
Directed by Stephen Hopkins, RACE is a film about courage, determination, tolerance, and friendship. It is an inspiring drama about Jesse Owen's fight to become a legend at the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party’s vision of white supremacy. A Q & A follows film.
The exhibition, which is on display at United Nations Headquarters in New York through 30 March 2016, was created by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of The New York Public Library. The curators are Dr. Sylviane A. Diouf, Director of the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at The Schomburg Center, and Dr. Kenneth X. Robbins, collector and expert in Indian art.
The exhibit tells the fascinating history of enslaved East Africans in India, known as Sidis and Habshis, who rose to positions of military and political authority. Through colourful photographs and texts, the exhibit conveys that their success was also a testimony of the open-mindedness of Indian society in which they were a small religious and ethnic minority, originally of low status. It also sheds light on the slave trade in the Indian Ocean and the history of Africa and its Diaspora in India.
The Remember Slavery Programme is producing a travelling version of the exhibition in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish and displayed by the United Nations Information Centres around the world in observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Thursday 24 March
1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Panel Discussion and Performance: “The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Constructing New Amistad, Bunce Island, Gullah, Maroon and Nova Scotia Bridges” ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations, New York
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (Observed)
3:00 p.m. General Assembly Commemorative Meeting, GA Hall, United Nations, New York 6:30 p.m. Culinary & Cultural Experience, Visitors Lobby, United Nations, New York
Download the invitation and RSVP
Thursday, 31 March
25th Anniversary of African Burial Ground
9:30 a.m. Student Event (4th grade): Film Screening /Art /Tour 6:15 p.m. Screening of documentary and panel discussion – “Then I'll Be Free to Travel Home: The Legacy of the New York African Burial Ground” featuring Lena Horne, African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway, New York
Thursday, 14 April
11:00 a.m. - NGO Briefing: The Musical Journey of the African Diaspora – Conference Room 11, United Nations, New York
Download the Programme of Events
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The disturbing and widespread violence and turmoil of the past
year also took a toll on United Nations and associated personnel. As
of 15 March 2015, 33 UN and associated personnel were detained by State
authorities in 15 countries. One staff member is missing and two
contractors remain in the custody of abductors.
On this International Day of Solidarity with Detained and
Missing Staff Members, and as demand for United Nations engagement
intensifies, I call on relevant Member States to respect the status,
privileges and immunities of the United Nations and to immediately
release all UN staff members and associated personnel who are being
unlawfully detained .
In addition, I appeal to those non-State actors that are holding
staff members to immediately release them. I also call on relevant
national authorities to do everything in their power to prevent the
taking of UN personnel as hostages and to facilitate the release of
those being held.
The safety of United Nations and associated personnel should be a
collective priority for all concerned. Yet abductions of United
Nations personnel are increasingly carried out by unscrupulous actors
seeking to extract ransom, make a political point, or impede the
Organization’s operations.
In the first two months of 2015, abductions of UN personnel
occurred in Gardez, in Afghanistan and Bangui, in the Central African
Republic. Two contractors working for the Joint United Nations-African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) were kidnapped in Zalingei at
gunpoint and remain in custody.
I am especially concerned about the situations in South Sudan
and Syria. A World Food Programme staff member was seized last October
at Malakal airport in South Sudan. Several others have been similarly
detained there last year. In Syria, numerous staff of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), in particular, have been detained and arrested or are
missing.
On this International Day, let us amplify our demands for
justice and strengthen our resolve to protect United Nations staff and
peacekeepers, as well as our colleagues in the non-governmental
community and the media.
Over the course of more than four centuries, some 15 million
Africans were taken from their homes across Africa and transported by
force to the Americas. The number of people purchased by slave traders
was even higher. Those slaves who survived were bought and sold,
stripped of all dignity, denied all human rights. Even their children
could be taken from them and sold for the profit of their “owners”.
The Transatlantic slave trade remains a monstrous crime and a stain on
human history.
This year’s Day of Remembrance pays particular tribute to the
many women who suffered and died during the slave trade. They
experienced appalling violence, including sexual and reproductive
enslavement, forced prostitution, repeated sexual assault, as well as
forced childbearing and the sale of their own children.
Yet women slaves played a key role in maintaining the dignity of
their communities. Too often their leadership and brave resistance
have been underestimated or forgotten.
Tragically, slavery has still not ended. Slavery stubbornly
persists in many parts of the world, in the form of forced labour,
trafficking, sexual exploitation or captivity in slavery-like
conditions. These despicable practices could not exist without
deep-seated racism. It is absolutely vital that the dangers inherent
in racism are made crystal clear to all. The Department of Public
Information’s Remember Slavery Programme educates about the
Transatlantic slave trade and how intolerance can easily shift from an
attitude into acts of hatred and violence.
To mark this International Day, I will unveil a permanent
memorial at United Nations Headquarters in New York to honour the
victims of slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade. Built on the
Visitors Plaza, the “Ark of Return” will bring home to people from
around the world the terrible legacy of the slave trade. It will help
us heal as we remember the past and honour the victims.
On this important Day of Remembrance, I call for a renewal of
our commitment to end modern slavery, so our children will live in a
world free of racism and prejudice with equal opportunity and rights for
all.
Various Days offer the International Community the
occasion to meet on the issue of slave trade and slavery. They provide
the necessary opportunity for a memory duty on this sad page of our
history, in order to honour all the victims of four centuries of human
tragedy, but also those who opposed and triumphed over this “crime
against humanity”.
These commemorative days serve to deepen the
reflexion on the contemporary consequences of this tragedy and its
implications in our society today, namely racism and racial
discrimination, intolerance, but also all the modern forms of slavery,
of exploitation and of human bondage.
Exhibit : Women and Slavery: Telling Their Stories
An exhibition to mark the International Day of Remembrance of
the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade opened in the
United Nations Visitors’ Lobby in New York on Thursday, 12 March at 6
p.m. and remain on display until 9 April.
The exhibition features the stories of enslaved women who
endured the harsh conditions of forced labour and sexual exploitation,
yet found the courage to fight for freedom. These women also
succeeded in transmitting their African culture and heritage to their
descendants, despite the many abuses that they had to bear. In addition,
it shines a light on free women who fought for abolition of the
slavery system.
This exhibition is produced by the Remember Slavery Programme
in partnership with the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes,
France, which published an extensive account of women and slavery in
its exhibition Dix Femmes Puissantes.
Statements delivered on the occasion of the opening of the exhibit on 12 March 2015
International Day highlights need for urgent action to protect UN staff worldwide.
The
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
marks the anniversary of the abduction of UN staff member Alec Collett.
UN Photo/Milton Grant
25 March 2014 – The United Nations family today urged immediate
action to secure the release of detained staff, to resolve the cases of
those missing and to protect all the courageous individuals who carry
out the life-saving work entrusted to the Organization and its partners.
He noted that as of 21 March, 56 UN personnel remained in detention and 4
UN and associated personnel abducted by non-State actors remain in
captivity.
“I urge all concerned to do everything possible to secure their
immediate release,” said the Secretary-General, who also strongly urged
those Member States holding UN personnel to provide immediate access and
fully respect their rights and privileges.
“I am deeply concerned at the unlawful detention and arrest of United
Nations and humanitarian personnel, as well as at the lack of access to
those staff. I call for immediate action to secure their freedom and
rights.”
One example of this was highlighted recently by Under-Secretary-General
for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, who reported to the Security
Council that authorities in South Sudan continue to harass UN staff, to
the point of putting their lives in danger. UN staff members have been
subjected to threats, harassment, physical assault, arrest, detention
and unlawful interrogation.
Mr. Ban added that he was especially worried about the brave individuals
working in Syria; the increase in abductions for ransom; and the
impunity that prevails. Noting that the vast majority of cases regarding
arrested, detained and missing staff members do not result in
prosecution, he called for an end to the culture of impunity and for the
full prosecution of all those responsible.
General Assembly President John Ashe encouraged the global community to
work more effectively to protect UN staff members who continue to face
threats to their freedom and security, noting that the number of attacks
on UN staff members has steadily increased in recent years and at an
alarming rate.
“This day underscores the need for the international community to do
everything it can to protect UN personnel working in places where
performing day-to-day tasks may put their lives at risk,” he stated in
his message.
“It also pays tribute to all UN staff members who have been killed or
kidnapped while working in conflict zones and calls on governments to
implement much needed security and safety standards,” he added.
The International Day marks the anniversary of the abduction of Alec
Collett, a former journalist and UN staff member who was working for the
UN Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA)
when he was abducted by armed gunmen in 1985. With his remains having
been found and returned to his family in 2009, the Day is also intended
to honour his memory, and of all those who have suffered similar fates.
“In our mission to increase peace and security around the world, the
United Nations asks us to work in the world’s most dangerous places,”
said Ian Richards, Vice-President of the UN Staff Management Committee.
“We do this out of a sense of duty and on the understanding that we will
be looked after.
“However, it is now clear that the United Nations flag has increasingly
become a target instead of a shield, especially for colleagues recruited
at the national level. We call on the Secretary-General and all
Governments to do more to protect staff and their independence, so they
can focus on their work, not work in fear.”
Each year on this day we honour the memory of the millions of men,
women and children who endured the curse of slavery. By recalling the
causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade, we
recommit to educating current and future generations of the dangers of
racism and prejudice.
The theme of this year’s observance is
“Victory over Slavery: Haiti and Beyond”. It pays tribute to the fight
against slavery in nations around the world and marks 210 years since
the Republic of Haiti became the first nation to win independence as a
result of the struggle of enslaved men and women. We are also marking
the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Slave Route Project, launched to
break the silence surrounding the slave trade and its consequences.
At United Nations Headquarters, work is under way on a Permanent
Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
It will stand as a constant reminder of the courage of slaves,
abolitionists and unsung heroes who helped end the oppression of
slavery. It will promote greater recognition of the contributions that
slaves and their descendants have made in their societies.
I
hope the Memorial will also be a source of inspiration in the continuing
fight against the many forms of slavery that still exist today. Around
the world, millions of people are subject to human trafficking, debt
bondage, sexual slavery and domestic servitude while the perpetrators of
these violations of human rights operate with impunity.
On this day, let us remember the abuses of the past and intensify our efforts to end those of the present.
Ban Ki Moon
With calls to remember the abuses of the past and intensify efforts
to end those of the present, United Nations officials are marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade by urging the international community to work towards a future in which no form of human slavery exists.
“By recalling the causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic
slave trade, we recommit to educating current and future generations of
the dangers of racism and prejudice,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on the Day, which this year is on the theme, “Victory over Slavery: Haiti and Beyond.”
On March 25 every year since 2007, the UN marks the International Day to
honour the more than 15 million men, women, and children who suffered
and died during the more than 400-year transatlantic slave trade, the
largest forced migration in history.
While paying tribute to the fight against slavery in nations around the
world, this year’s commemoration also marks 210 years since Haiti was
founded on 1 January 1804; the first Republic established as a result of
the victorious struggle of enslaved people – led by Toussaint
L’Ouverture – for their freedom and independence.
In addition, 2014 also marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Slave Route Project, launched in Benin in 1994, with the goal of
breaking the silence surrounding the slave trade and its consequences.
Delivering the keynote address at the UN General Assembly’s annual
commemorative meeting, Michaëlle Jean, UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti,
said: “We are here because we believe in our duty to remember; we know
how important it is to draw lessons from the past to build a better
future.”
Remembering can be difficult, particularly when the subject is so
horrific, but it is vital nevertheless to pay tribute to the innumerable
victims of the Transatlantic slave trade, she said, also hailing the
memory of those who rose up against 400 years of history and those
enlightened thinkers who championed the inalienable rights of all human
beings.
Starting 2014, worldwide activities are being organized throughout the
year. At UN Headquarters in New York, work is currently under way on a
Permanent Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade. Designed by Rodney Leon, an American architect of Haitian
descent, The Ark of Return, was selected last August as the winning design through an international competition.
“I hope the Memorial will also be a source of inspiration in the
continuing fight against the many forms of slavery that still exist
today,” Mr. Ban said in a statement delivered to the Assembly by his
Chef de Cabinet, Susana Malcorra, adding that the memorial will promote
greater recognition of the contributions that slaves and their
descendants have made in their societies.
In his remarks,
General Assembly President John Ashe said that while reflecting on the
past, it is important to acknowledge the cruelties that continue to
exist today. “Foremost, slavery still stalks our planet in many forms
and manifestations,” he said.
Indeed, too many innocent women and young girls are held in bondage and
are denied their freedom and right to live in dignity due to human
trafficking and sexual exploitation. Too many children are held in
servitude and are victims of child labour, he continued.
“Combating such abuses is a daunting challenge. We must turn our
commitments into concrete action so that women and the young can live
without fear and want,” Mr. Ashe said.
The UN International Labour Organization (ILO),
which reports that about 21 million people are victims of modern-day
slavery, marked the occasion today by hosting a Google+ Hangout with the
descendants of Solomon Northup, whose life and memoir inspired the
Oscar-winning film 12 Years A Slave.
Two of Northup's descendants – Irene Northup-Zahos, a 72-year-old
retired nurse who is Northup’s great-great-granddaughter, and Melissa
Howell, Northup’s 42-year-old great-great-great-granddaughter – are
teaming up to talk about Northup’s legacy and the horrors of modern-day
slavery: forced labor and human trafficking across the world.
