General Assembly Session 61 meeting 89

The Acting President

This morning the General Assembly will hold a special meeting devoted to the commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, in accordance with its resolution 61/19 of 28 November 2006.

Before we proceed, I should like to invite members of the Assembly to stand and observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

The Acting President

I have the honour to make the following statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. The President deeply regrets that she is not able to be here in person to celebrate such an important event, as she is currently on an official visit to the Middle East.

"The transatlantic slave trade stands as one of the most inhuman enterprises in history. It began in the fifteenth century when European kingdoms were able to expand overseas and reach Africa. It is a deplorable fact of history that the slave trade was driven by colonial expansion, emerging capitalist economies and the insatiable demand for commodities, with racism and discrimination serving to legitimatize the trade.

"Powerful businessmen, diplomats, church leaders, senior politicians, lawyers and merchants were among those who owned plantation slaves in the eighteenth century before the trade was outlawed. Fortunes were made and financial institutions flourished on the back of human bondage. Capital gained from the slave trade was reinvested in the tobacco and sugar industries, or in art, property and land. The wealthy became influential from their investments, and slavery became an accepted part of the political economy of the time.

"Demand for African labour grew as the colonies grew. The forced removal of millions of people due to the transatlantic slave trade had a major effect on Africa. Africa was impoverished while it contributed to the capitalist development and wealth of Europe and other parts of the world. African traders such as Antera Duke and powerful tribal leaders also enslaved Africans and sold them to merchants. Some African rulers resisted the devastation -- most notably King Alfonso of Kongo in the sixteenth century, Queen Njingha Mbandi of Ndongo in the seventeenth century and King Agaja Trudo of Dahomey in the eighteenth century.

"The date of 25 March 2007 marks 200 years to the day that a parliamentary bill was passed to abolish the slave trade in the then British Empire. That event marked the beginning of the end for the transatlantic traffic in human beings. However, it was not until 1833 that the act emancipating British slaves was finally passed. It is hard to believe that what would now be a crime against humanity was legal at that time.

"The bicentenary offers us all a chance to say how profoundly disgraceful the slave trade was and to remember the millions who suffered. It also gives us an opportunity to pay tribute to the courage and the moral conviction of all those who campaigned for abolition. Those people included slaves and former slaves such as Olaudah Equiano, church leaders and statesmen such as William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp, and countless ordinary citizens who lobbied for the change. Later in France, Victor Schoelcher campaigned relentlessly, which contributed to the French decree abolishing slavery on 27 April 1848.

"While reflecting on the past we also need to acknowledge the unspeakable cruelty that exists today. Slavery comes in many guises around the world, such as bonded labour, the forced recruitment of child soldiers, human trafficking and the illegal sex trade. The first article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights reminds us that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Today's commemoration marking the bicentenary of the act of abolition of the transatlantic trade in slaves must also encourage us all to live up to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to redouble our efforts to stop human trafficking and all forms of modern slavery."

I now give the floor to Her Excellency Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General.

The Deputy Secretary-General

I am moved to be with the General Assembly this morning in commemorating the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago. Let me thank the Assembly for making this commemoration happen, and in particular the Caribbean Community caucus of permanent representatives to the United Nations.

The story of the end of the transatlantic slave trade must always be remembered here at the United Nations. Our Charter speaks of fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of the human person. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude.

For centuries, the transatlantic slave trade inflicted unspeakable dehumanization. Millions perished from the long march in Africa, the Middle Passage across the Atlantic and conditions at the other end. Millions were brutally exploited in the Americas. Their labour helped build prosperous societies in which they had no rights and no say.

But if slavery epitomized inhumanity at its most callous, many rejected and fought it. Slaves rose up against their subjugation. Abolitionist movements sprung up. The emancipation of slaves was a triumph for all humankind, for it spoke of the inherent equal worth of human beings everywhere.

Today as we commemorate the bicentennial of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade we celebrate the fact that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Yet around the world millions of people are still deprived of the most fundamental human rights and freedoms. There should be no place in the twenty-first century for trafficking, forced labour or sexual exploitation. There should be no place for mass rape and other war crimes perpetrated against the most vulnerable in times of armed conflict. Children should not be forced to become soldiers or to work in sex shops, nor should they be sold by their families. The fact that these atrocities take place in our world today should fill us all with shame.

So let us not only look back on a tragic period of human history; let us shine a light on the crimes against humanity that are taking place today in the shadows all around us. And let us work to prevent them from happening in the future. I urge Member States to take action by adopting and implementing relevant international instruments such as the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

I also urge the Member States to join the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, launched today in London by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Initiative brings together a broad partnership of Governments, the United Nations family, civil society, the private sector and the media in an effort to generate the political will, resources and global awareness needed to fight the scourge of trafficking.

Taking action is not only our legal obligation -- it is our moral duty. It is a debt that we owe to all those we honour today. Two hundred years ago courageous women and men around the world stood up for freedom. Today, we must do the same. We must act together to stop crimes that deprive countless victims of their liberty, dignity and human rights. We must combat impunity with unwavering commitments. We must mobilize political will through domestic and international pressure. We must apply relentless and continued scrutiny.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful for your contribution to this global cause.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear a statement by His Excellency Mr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Sustainable Development, Information and Technology, Tourism, Culture and Sports of Saint Kitts and Nevis, who will speak on behalf of the Caribbean Community.

Mr. Douglas (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

It is with a mixed of both humility and pride that I stand here on behalf of the federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the other member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to address this body at such an auspicious juncture in its 61-year history. This date certainly represents a milestone of historic proportions in the evolution of our own Caribbean region.

For those of us from the Caribbean, from Africa, Latin America and the United States of America, the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago signalled the end of the barbaric and horrendous practice of the legal trafficking in human cargo. Millions perished during the trade and millions more were subjected to lives of despair, brutality, rape and humiliation. The continents of Africa, North America, South America and Europe were inextricably linked by this appalling practice. It had a global effect on countries and peoples throughout the world in one form or another.

It was not only in the CARICOM region where this inhumane practice occurred and was eventually abolished. Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, the entire Latin American region, the United States of America, Mauritius and Seychelles -- we are all linked with Africa through the slave trade and its abolition.

The transatlantic slave trade created economic growth for only some countries. Coupled with the institution of slavery, it ushered in and heightened the notion of racism throughout those countries affected by slavery and the trade. The slave trade was much more than an economic practice. It violated the basic moral laws of human interaction.

For the Caribbean community today, memories of the slave trade touch the very core of our societies. Many of us are the descendants of those unfortunate people who survived the journey of the Middle Passage. It was a crime against the humanity of our forefathers and a violation of their human rights. We feel very strongly that their suffering should never be forgotten, and we are indeed heartened by the very strong show of support demonstrated by the international community during the unanimous adoption of General Assembly resolution 61/19 last November and by today's commemoration.

It is commendable, therefore, that leaders of some of the former colonial Powers have expressed deep sorrow on several occasions over the role their countries played in the despicable slave trade. It is my fervent hope that leaders of other nations that supported and profited from the inhumane activity will come forward in like manner. However, it is important that leaders of such nations offer to the descendants of African slaves who were brought to the Caribbean and the Americas a complete and unequivocal apology.

It is undisputed that such nations were developed on the blood, sweat and tears of our enslaved forefathers, and it is only right, and the decent thing to do, that they make amends and extend their apologies into the realm of atonement for the legal and economic support and the atrocities that were the norm of the slave trade and slavery. Countries that engaged in the slave trade and slavery have a moral obligation to make right those crimes against humanity.

It has been argued that no country that was engaged in the slave trade and slavery could justifiably claim to support human rights without first offering an official apology and atonement in the form of reparation. It is further believed that only under such circumstances can the descendants of slaves truly forgive and move forward in the world. From the perspective of the people of the Caribbean, the descendants of slaves, these two matters will remain crucial for us because of the indignity, suffering and haunting legacies we live with as a result of the slave trade and slavery.

Following the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, the Caribbean region underwent a variety of changes. With the abolition of slavery, 27 years later there was no longer a steady supply of African labour, and that ushered in a period of a new form of migration to the region in the form of indentured labour. The region went on to evolve into the diversified society that it is today, with citizens of African, European, Indian, Asian and Arab descent.

As societies of the Caribbean region evolved following decades of migration, decolonization and development, the region remained aware that many of the stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices that exist today are remnants of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.

As we commemorate this two-hundredth anniversary today, we must remain steadfast in our efforts to fully eradicate the scourges that continue to plague our world. I speak of the scourges of human rights violations, racism, human trafficking and underdevelopment.

Just as we are linked through the slave trade and its abolition, we must now all work together to resolve and defeat these problems. We all need to recall our linkages and to work together to correct the ills that remain from that legacy, as well as the many ills that exist today.

Let us not forget the sacrifices made by those who fought so valiantly for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. The successful Haitian revolution of 1804; the countless revolts by slaves, including the Maroons; the humanitarian intervention of William Wilberforce and others; and the changing attitudes of populations as a whole -- these all brought about the movement and the eventual abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and, of course, eventually, of slavery.

CARICOM is committed to ensuring that a permanent memorial in honour of those who perished under slavery is prominently placed in the halls of the United Nations as an acknowledgement of the tragedy and in consideration of the legacy of slavery.

We have established a CARICOM fund towards the achievement of this project, and we are deeply grateful to the Government of the State of Qatar, which was the first to contribute towards it. We are also grateful to our other friends in the United Nations that have indicated their intention to support us in that regard. I take this opportunity to invite other Members of the United Nations family to join those of us from the Caribbean region. It is CARICOM's belief that a permanent memorial in the United Nations will help to ensure that future generations will always be reminded of the history of slavery and of the lessons learned.

In conclusion, I take this opportunity to make special mention of the valuable support that we have received from our many friends around the world. In particular, I would like to thank the United Nations; the Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, here in New York; and UNESCO for their full support and for the launch of the exhibition entitled "Lest We Forget", which opened on 1 March at the United Nations. Although we have come a long way, much more remains to be done to overcome the lasting effects of that crime against humanity.

I believe that this is possible. In fact, I am confident that, with the same fervour that was exhibited more than 200 years ago, and with the very same dedication we are witnessing here this morning, we can right the ship of compassion; overcome the storms of discrimination, prejudice, intolerance and indifference; and eventually sail into a bright future promoting and protecting human rights and human dignity for all of humankind.

The Acting President

I give the floor to the representative of South Africa, who will speak on behalf of the African Group.

Mr. Kumalo (South Africa)

Slavery may have been about the sale and subjugation of Africans, but its impact was felt throughout the entire African continent. To this day, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are said to remain dark and murky with the blood of Africans stolen from all along the western coast, as far south as the windy coast of Namibia and all the way to the dry shores of the Sahara desert. Whenever the slaves revolted or became seasick, or in any way disobeyed their captors, they were dumped into the icy Atlantic Ocean.

Two hundred years later, Africa is still nursing the wounds of slavery. It is an undisputed fact that the slave traders robbed our continent of its best people. But, even worse, the powerful backers of the slave trade returned to unleash upon those remaining behind an unequalled kind of oppression, driven by greed and expansionism, which manifested itself as a colonial system that left Africa impoverished for centuries.

The General Assembly, in its resolution on the commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, recalled that the slave trade and the legacy of slavery are at the heart of the profound social and economic inequality, hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice which continues to have an impact, whether direct or psychological, on people of African descent throughout the world.

At the historic World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in 2001 at Durban, South Africa, Member States acknowledged that

"slavery and slave trade are a crime against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transatlantic slave trade, and are among the major sources and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples were victims of these acts and continue to be victims of their consequences" (A/CONF.189/12, para. 13).

As the world marks the halfway point in the process of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, set for 2015, it has become clear that Africa may be the only continent lagging behind in the area of the eradication of extreme poverty. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha development round, which could potentially result in the easing of market access for African trade, is currently being held hostage by some of the countries whose wealth was built on the profits of slavery and on the benefits of African colonialism. Statistics suggest that a cow in Europe receives a far greater subsidy than an African child receives in development aid. Many developed nations continue to renege on agreed global commitments to eradicate poverty, including meeting the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product in development assistance.

As we commemorate the end of the transatlantic slave trade and honour the memory of those who died in the middle passage or in the resistance and revolt against enslavement, our resolve to value human life, regardless of colour, sex or creed, remains unshaken. We value human life, whether of the descendants of former slaves or of those of former slave owners.

Perhaps no one captured this spirit better than world-renowned American poet Phillis Wheatley, who lived from 1753 to 1784. In fact, Miss Whitley, who was born in Senegal, West Africa, was captured and sold into slavery at the age of 7, like the many other children who were part of the slave trade and have yet to be acknowledged by history. In 1760, Miss Wheatley was sold to the Wheatley family in Boston, Massachusetts, whose name she was given. As part of the Wheatley household, Phillis was given extensive home education by her owners, including in Latin, Greek and biblical studies. She wrote her first poem at the age of 13. Her specialty was composing poems celebrating the lives of her owners and their wealthy friends in the high Boston society of the day. She gained great prominence and fame in 1770, when she wrote a poetic tribute to the well-known Calvinist George Whitefield. Many doubted that such a young person, especially an African slave, could have written it by herself, so a group of Boston luminaries led by John Hancock -- whose signature six years later on the United States Declaration of Independence was to distinguish him forever -- was organized to check if Phillis had really written it. John Hancock and his fellow luminaries confirmed that, indeed, a slave girl from Senegal had written the poem.

Before long, Phillis Wheatley had produced enough poems to fill a book. However, no American publisher would accept a manuscript written by a slave. Phillis' owners took the manuscript to London, where it was published, together with her other, later works. Among the admirers of this young slave from Senegal was none other than General George Washington, who later became the first President of the United States of America.

Her writing career ended when John and Susanna Wheatley died and Phillis was freed to marry a free black grocer, named John Peters. Phillis spent the rest of her life working as a domestic and died in poverty in December 1784.

In honour of this day, allow me to conclude with the only poem Miss Wheatley ever wrote about her capture into slavery. It is entitled simply On Being Brought from Africa to America. It reads:

"'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye -- 'Their colour is a diabolic die.' Remember, Christians, Negroes black as Cain, May be refined, and join th'angelic train."

Finally, on behalf of the African Group, may I thank our brothers and sisters from the Caribbean nations for ensuring that this commemoration would take place so that we can never forget. Today we claim, in the words of Phillis Wheatley, that we are, indeed, refined and on an angelic train on a journey towards achieving a better life for all.

The Acting President

I give the floor to the representative of Myanmar, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States.

Mr. Swe (Myanmar)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Asian Group on this historic occasion. The Asian Group joins the others in paying tribute to Africa, the African people and their descendants in the Caribbean and the Americas for their triumphant struggle against slavery, as they celebrate this special day of commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of transatlantic slave trade.

Theirs is a story that exposes one of the most appalling periods in human history. It is also the story of human resilience, courage and survival. For nearly five centuries, millions of Africans -- men, women and children -- were transformed into human cargoes, transported across the Atlantic and forced to work in inhuman conditions of horror, deprivation and violence. They were seized in wars and raids, sold from one trader to another, imprisoned in forts and loaded onto ships that took them across the Atlantic. Many perished in that infamous Middle Passage. On their arrival in the new world, the survivors were put in camps where they were tortured into obedience. They worked in plantations and other places in harsh working conditions. Not knowing anything but hard labour and inhuman treatment, many died without ever seeing either their homeland or their families again.

The slave trade destroyed not only the people who were forced into servitude, but also the fragile local economies and societies in Africa by robbing them of a productive sector. The dark chapter of inhuman history came to a close in 1807, when the British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. That also marked the beginning of the 200-year struggle for recognition, atonement and the right to be free from the discrimination that 500 years of slavery left on societies.

Although it has taken us 200 years to commemorate that historic day, the United Nations and the world community has made notable progress in recent years to address the negative impact of slavery. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaffirmed, in article 1, that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights", while article 4 states that "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."

We must take into account that we now have new forms of slavery. The 2001 Durban Declaration -- an outcome of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in South Africa -- pronounced slavery and the slave trade to be crimes against humanity. UNESCO resolution 31 C-28 proclaimed 2004 as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition. General Assembly resolution 61/19 marked another milestone by commemorating the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

We cannot change the past, but we can shape the future. We must ensure that succeeding generations learn the truth, act upon those lessons learned and remain vigilant so that no human being suffers the same fate -- because, as I said earlier, we are now seeing new forms of slavery.

Joining in this commemorative ceremony, the Asian Group is paying tribute to the people of Africa and their descendants in their heroic struggle for freedom and honour. We pay homage to and remember those who died in the brutal system and those who gave their lives in the fight for freedom. Our tribute also goes to the descendents of the African people who, through pride, love of their people, resilience and courage, not only survived their ordeals but are now building societies that are rich with their unique cultural heritage.

We would also like to pay tribute to the people of the Caribbean, the States members of the Caribbean Group, who have made today's event possible.

Finally, let this day of commemoration reminds us that, by reason and conscience, we must not allow history to repeat itself in any form or manifestation.

The Acting President

I give the floor to the representative of Georgia, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

Mr. Alasania (Georgia)

I am honoured to address this special meeting of the General Assembly on the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of transatlantic slave trade on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

The spring of 1807, two hundred years ago, marked the beginning of a new era and a new international order. As a result of the wisdom and humanity of outstanding statesmen in the United Kingdom and the United States and their appreciation of universal values, legislation was adopted to ban the slave trade -- undisputedly one of the worst violations of human rights. This anniversary is a time to honour the memory of those who died as a result of slavery and the related practices and to acknowledge that its legacies -- human trafficking and other contemporary forms of slavery, racism, xenophobia and bigotry -- continue to affect people of various racial backgrounds on all continents.

Unfortunately, despite the abolition of the slave trade, some of its altered forms still exist today. Although it is no longer legal for people to be traded as commodities, millions of people are still forced by poverty to work and live in slavery-like conditions. Despite the efforts of the international community to fight slavery, contemporary forms of that vice, from forced labour to human trafficking, are flourishing. The current demand for slaves, the ineffective prosecution of criminals and inadequate protection of labour rights are also contributing to the growth of modern-day slavery. Furthermore, nearly every continent is afflicted by armed conflicts, which produce yet other sources of suffering, including death, destruction and the use of children in armed conflicts.

When one has problems obtaining adequate food, housing and education, one becomes a victim of a new form of slavery. Because of our failure to alleviate poverty, to eliminate the demand for modern-day slaves, to defend the human rights of all and to effectively address impunity, potential victims are unable to protect themselves against exploitation and abuse. Most of the time, our efforts are not sufficient. Despite all that has been accomplished, we still have much to do together.

I would like to end my statement with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said that the hope of a secure and liveable world lies with disciplined non-conformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. He also said that our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. I believe that together we can end despair and build a world with equal opportunities for all.