Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak today on behalf of the Western European and Other States Group on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade.

Today, we remember the millions of people, men, women and children, who became victims of slavery and did not survive the unfathomable brutality of slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade.

The Transatlantic slave trade remains an unparalleled tragedy which lasted for over three centuries and involved unspeakable atrocities and the enslavement of millions of Africans, many of whom died during the horrific journey across the Atlantic.

We pay tribute to the countless victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and respect to their descendants. The stories of those who were forcibly abducted from their homelands and sold as slaves, the stories of those who fought bravely against their oppressors and against the cruel practices of slavery must not be forgotten. We need to continue to educate everyone on the history of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and about their devastating consequences and long-lasting impacts. We also consider it vital to shed a light on the rich heritage and important contributions of people of African descent and pay tribute to their many achievements in all areas of our societies.

The wrongs of the past cannot be undone. But we can learn from them for the present and the future and try to redress the still continuing effects by acknowledging and addressing the trauma caused by them. We also need to remove barriers and tackle disparities that still represent an obstacle to the equal participation in all spheres of society by the descendants of those affected by the monstrous and utterly dehumanizing acts of slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade. Racism against people of African descent is, in part, a lasting legacy of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We stay committed to addressing its root causes and taking concrete action to prevent and eliminate racial discrimination and to fight racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. To that end, we renew our commitment to the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and take note of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

This day should also remind and encourage us to act in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, which provide that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude and that slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

But even today, we see traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by forcing them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. While women and girls account for the majority of identified victims of these horrible practices, many more individuals, including men and boys, are also impacted by these too often hidden crimes.

It is essential that we comply with our obligations under international law, including the Convention to Suppress the Slave Trade and Slavery. We call on States that have not yet done so to ratify the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Trafficking Protocol and to effectively implement them.

We welcome current efforts to considering a Rome Statute amendment inclusive of the slave trade as well as a distinct provision in the Draft Articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity.

We must increase our efforts to eliminate all forms of trafficking in persons as committed to in the 2030 Agenda and to ensure justice, accountability, dignity and freedom for all persons.

Thank you.