New York, 25 March 2026 — On Wednesday, 25 March 2026, during its 75th plenary meeting of the 80th session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted draft resolution A/80/L.48, entitled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity”, tabled by the Republic of Ghana. Considered in the context of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the text was adopted by 123 votes in favor, 3 against, and 52 abstentions. The Democratic Republic of the Congo voted in favor of this resolution.
Through this adoption, the General Assembly recognized the exceptional gravity of the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as one of the darkest chapters in human history. Millions of men, women and children were torn from their homes, stripped of their humanity, and subjected to exploitation for generations. The racist ideologies used to justify these crimes left deep scars, the effects of which are still visible today in structural inequalities and persistent discrimination.
Observed this year under the theme “Justice in Action”, the commemoration calls on the international community to confront this history with clarity, acknowledge its lasting impact, and promote concrete responses in support of reparatory justice, inclusion, equality, and respect for the rights of people of African descent.
The history of this Day dates back to General Assembly resolution 61/19, adopted in 2006, by which the United Nations recognized that “the slave trade and slavery are among the worst violations of human rights in the history of humanity, particularly owing to their abhorrent scale and lasting impact.” The following year, through resolution 62/122, 25 March was designated as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The choice of this date refers to the adoption, on 25 March 1807, in the United Kingdom, of the law abolishing the transatlantic slave trade. However, this important step did not abolish slavery itself, which continued for several decades. It also reflects the courageous and sustained resistance of enslaved Africans, notably the Haitian Revolution, which led in 1804 to the independence of Haiti, the first nation to emerge from the victory of enslaved women and men who fought against their bondage.
Through its vote, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaffirms its commitment to the duty of remembrance, historical truth, and the promotion of an international order founded on human dignity, justice, and equality among peoples.