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2025 Remembrance Programme

"Acknowledge the past. Repair the present. Build a future of dignity and justice."

The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans was one of the most horrific crimes in human history, brutally dehumanizing more than 15 million men, women and children over 400 years. It robbed individuals of their lives and liberty, and in the centuries that followed, systems of exclusion and discrimination stripped communities of their ability to thrive and prosper.

The fallacy of white supremacy was justified by ¨C and entrenched in ¨C institutions, cultures, and legal systems. Acknowledging the painful legacy of the trade in enslaved Africans is essential to repairing these broken systems.

Born out of past harms and crimes against humanity, systemic racism and structural injustices must be transformed to heal the wounds of enslavement and build a future of dignity and justice for Afro-descendant communities across the globe.

Message of the United Nations Secretary-General

25 March, 2025

The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans was a crime against humanity that resonates through history and continues to scar societies. Today, we remember the women, children, and men torn from their loved ones, forced to work in agonizing conditions, cruelly punished, and deprived of their dignity and human rights, and we recall their acts of resistance and demands for justice.

For more than four centuries, millions of Africans were kidnapped, trafficked, abused and dehumanized. This horrific enterprise rested on the destructive lie of white supremacy. And it saw many colonizers, corporations and institutions amass unimaginable wealth.

For too long, these unthinkable acts have remained unacknowledged, unspoken, and unaddressed, all as their legacies continue to shape our world. Many still benefit from the odious profits reaped from chattel slavery. Systemic racism has been embedded into institutions, cultures, and legal and other systems. Deeply rooted exclusion, racial discrimination and violence continue to undermine the ability of many people of African descent to thrive and prosper.

As the theme of this year¡¯s International Day reminds us, acknowledging the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade is an essential step towards addressing the past, repairing the present, and building a future of dignity and justice for all. It is imperative to put in place reparatory justice frameworks that address this terrible history and its legacies. And we must end the evil of racism for good.

The human dignity of every person stands at the heart of the United Nations. We will always stand with everyone, everywhere to combat racial discrimination and hate, and to defend the human rights and dignity of all.

General Assembly Observance of the 2025 International Day of Remembrance

of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

On Tuesday, 25 March 2025 at 10:00 a.m. EDT, the General Assembly convened its annual plenary meeting to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Speakers included the President of the 79th Session of the General Assembly, His Excellency Philemon Yang; the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ant¨®nio Guterres; keynote speaker and Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature Mr. Wole Soyinka; youth speaker and former United States Youth Poet Laureate Ms. Salome Agbaroji; and representatives of Member States and regional groups.

Watch the General Assembly meeting on demand at

Remarks of the President of the General Assembly

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The transatlantic slave trade stands as one of the darkest chapters in human history.
Over a span of 400 years, between 25 and 30 million people were forcibly uprooted, shackled, and transported from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas. 
Many did not survive the journey. 
Men and women and children were separated from their families, stripped of their identities, and robbed of their freedom. 
They and their descendants endured generations of brutal servitude, enforced by the lash of the whip. 
On the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, we recall this history ¨C and confront its legacy. 
And we reflect on the moral urgency of dismantling that legacy. 
We commit to laying the foundations for a more just future. 
One built upon respect for human dignity and human rights. 

Read full remarks

Remarks by the Secretary-General 

Watch the remarks delivered by Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres

Remarks by Keynote Speaker

Watch the remarks delivered by the keynote speaker, the Nobel Laureate in Literature Professor Wole Soyinka,

Remarks by Youth Speaker

Watch the remarks delivered by the youth speaker, former United States Youth Poet Laureate Salome Agbaroji,  

Students visit United Nations Headquarters for the 25 March 2025 Commemoration  

Hundreds of students from secondary schools and universities across the New York Tri-State area gathered at the United Nations on 25 March 2025 to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Following the United Nations General Assembly¡¯s plenary session marking the International Day, young attendees toured the sculpture exhibition The Stories of Us, guided by curator and co-founder Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye. The exhibition features works by artists from across the African diaspora. Students also participated in a roundtable discussion with youth speaker Salome Agbaroji. 

Calendar of Events

7 March ¨C 25 April 2025
"The Stories of Us" Sculpture Exhibition at United Nations Headquarters

Â鶹´«Ã½ Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, in partnership with the arts nonprofit The Stories of Us, presented a sculpture exhibition spotlighting artists from the African diaspora. Centered around five large-scale ¡°talking drums¡± by Alanis Forde, Francks Deceus, L¨¢ol¨², Leasho Johnson, and Marryam Moma, the exhibition honors the resistance of enslaved Africans and the enduring cultural legacy of their descendants. 

Initially displayed in the UN Visitors Lobby, the installation later moved to the Visitors Plaza, serving as a vibrant backdrop for performances and high-level events during the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (April 14¨C17, 2025). 

Watch exhibition highlights video:

14 April 2025
Drum Dialogue at United Nations Visitors Plaza  

UNFPA, in collaboration with the UN Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, hosted ¡°Beats of Solidarity: Drumming for Peace and Equity¡± at the UN Visitors Plaza. Over 100 drummers performed to mark the Fourth Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (April 14¨C17, 2025), the 10th anniversary of the ¡°Ark of Return¡± memorial, and the Second UN International Decade for People of African Descent.

Rooted in Africa¡¯s oral traditions, drumming has long served as a powerful tool for storytelling and unity¡ªtranscending borders, fostering shared identity, and strengthening community bonds.

Watch Drum Dialogue highlights video:

17 April 2025 
Roundtable event: ¡°The Role of Arts & Culture in Acknowledging the Legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Supporting Afro-Descendant Communities¡± 

The UN Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery hosted a panel during the Fourth Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (April 14¨C17, 2025), spotlighting arts and cultural initiatives that honour the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and elevate Afro-descendant voices. Speakers included Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye, Co-Founder of The Stories of Us; Justin Hansford, Howard University professor and Executive Director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center; Ambassador Brian Wallace of Jamaica; and Ana M¨ªria dos Santos Carvalho Carinhanha, Brazil¡¯s Deputy Executive Secretary for Racial Equality. The discussion was moderated by Jayashri Wyatt, Chief of the UN¡¯s Education Outreach Section.

10th Anniversary of the "Ark of Return"

To mark the 10th anniversary of the iconic Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade known as the ¡°Ark of Return¡± memorial, the UN Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery organized special tours during the Fourth Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (April 14¨C17, 2025). Designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon and unveiled in 2015, the memorial honours victims of the transatlantic slave trade and invites reflection on its lasting legacies. Leon led personalized tours, sharing insights into his vision with Member State representatives, ministers, and senior UN officials.