In 2025, United Nations Information Centres (UNICs), Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs), and other United Nations entities around the world organized events to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as well as the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, known as the ※Ark of Return.§ This year＊s activities were held under the theme: ※Acknowledge the past. Repair the present. Build a future of dignity and justice.§ The Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery provided the field offices with the exhibit ※Who Were the Enslaved? Commemorating Lives Under Enslavement at the Cape of Good Hope§, produced by the Iziko Museums of South Africa; an evergreen video on the International Day of Remembrance; and printable banners featuring the Ark of Return. The Outreach Programme also produced social media cards and videos to promote the day in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Photo: UNIC Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria 每 Educational briefing at Kofar Hausa Secondary School
On 28 March, UNIC Abuja, in partnership with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, hosted an educational briefing for 400 students at Kofar Hausa Secondary School to mark the International Day of Remembrance. The session delved into the history of slavery, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, and their enduring connections to racism, discrimination, and structural injustice. Students explored the dangers of modern-day human trafficking and were encouraged to stand against all forms of slavery and prejudice, promote tolerance, and uphold human rights. The event also included the exhibit "Slavery: Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery§, featuring compelling accounts from people directly affected by slavery in Dutch colonies and in the Netherlands.
PHOTO: UNIC Accra / Cynthia Prah
Accra, Ghana 每 Field Trip to Assin Manso Slave River
On 10 April, UNIC Accra led 100 students from Aburaman and Assin Manso Senior High Schools on an educational tour of the Assin Manso Slave River in commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. At the historic site 每 where enslaved Africans took their final bath before being shipped across the Atlantic 每 students engaged in guided storytelling and reflection, confronting firsthand the history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its lasting impact on societies. ※The experience was emotional but necessary because it helped me understand where we come from and why we must fight against racism and injustice today,§ said Gloria, a School Prefect from Assin Manso Senior High School.
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PHOTO: UNIC Brazzaville / Prosper Mihindou-Ngo
Brazzaville, Congo 每 Tour of historic sites in Brazzaville
On 30 May, UNIC Brazzaville, in collaboration with the Department of History at Marien Ngouabi University, organized a field trip to historic sites in the capital linked to the transatlantic trade in enslaved people. A group of students, guided by a history teacher, visited key locations including Port L谷on, once a major receiving point for enslaved people from northern Congo; T? Ngoma village, a former holding site before deportation across the Atlantic; and the Victor Schoelcher monument, which honours a pioneering European advocate for the abolition of slavery.
PHOTO: UNIC Bujumbura / Balthazar Nimbeshaho
Bujumbura, Burundi 每 Educational activity at Lyc谷e Musaga
On 9 May, UNIC Bujumbura marked the International Day of Remembrance with an educational outreach event for 200 students from Lyc谷e Musaga. Students attended a history briefing on slavery, explored the exhibition ※Slavery:Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery§, and watched Yolanda Ren谷e King, the granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., deliver her 2024 address to the UN General Assembly commemorating the International Day of Remembrance. The initiative aimed to raise awareness about the transatlantic trade in enslaved people and the ongoing fight against racism and discrimination.
PHOTO: UNIC Dakar
Dakar, Senegal 每 Official ceremony at the Museum of Black Civilizations
On 25 March, UNIC Dakar, in collaboration with the Government of Senegal, the , and other partners, held a ceremony at the Museum of Black Civilizations to mark the International Day pf Remembrance and reflect on the theme ※Acknowledge the past. Repair the present. Build a future of dignity and justice.§ The event included speeches from distinguished officials on topics including funding for the Gor谷e Memorial and the role of museums in preserving and promoting African history and culture. The UNIC＊s Director shared a message from UN Secretary-General Ant車nio Guterres, calling for the creation of restorative justice frameworks to confront this dark chapter in history.
Photo: UNIC Dar es Salaam / Musiba Phillip Maere
Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania 每 Study tour of the Bagamoyo ruins
On 24 May, UNIC Dar es Salaam led 60 students from Hazina International Primary School on a study tour of the Bagamoyo ruins to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance. The visit offered students a meaningful opportunity to engage with the history and significance of the site 每 once a key port in the East African trade in enslaved people. During the tour, they learned about the region＊s history of slavery, Bagamoyo＊s role as a major transit point, and ongoing efforts to address the enduring legacies of slavery.
PHOTO: UNIC Honduras / Maria Elena Calix
Honduras 每 Intergenerational Forum at the National Autonomous University of Honduras
On 21 May, RCO Honduras, in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and the National Photographic Archive, hosted a forum inspired by the theme: ※Acknowledge the Past. Repair the Future. Build a Future of Dignity and Justice.§ The event brought together 50 students, academics, UN officials, and artists for an intergenerational dialogue on Honduras＊ African heritage. The country is home to the Gar赤funa and English-speaking Black communities and continues to combat slavery＊s legacy of racial discrimination. A UN representative opened the event with personal accounts of racism, followed by a student exchange with artists whose works 每 oil paintings of traditional cassava bread-making and photographs of Gar赤funa communities 每 were featured in the programme.
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PHOTO: UNIC Lusaka
Lusaka, Zambia 每 Educational activity at Kabulonga Secondary School for Boys
On 21 May, UNIC Lusaka observed the International Day of Remembrance with an educational session at Kabulonga Secondary School for Boys. Around 100 students explored the history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved people and discussed ways to promote human rights and combat modern-day slavery. Activities at the event included a briefing on the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, known as the ※Ark of Return§, and the display of the exhibition ※Who Were the Enslaved? Commemorating Lives Under Enslavement at the Cape of Good Hope§, which highlighted the horrors of slavery and acts of resistance.
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PHOTO: UNIC Rio
Rio de Janeiro 每 Panel discussion at the Museu da Hist車ria e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira
On 10 April, UNIC Rio de Janeiro held a panel discusi車n at the Museu da Hist車ria e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB) to mark the International Day of Remembrance. Among the 50 attendees were representatives from Government, civil society, and grassroots collectives. Three prominent Afro-Brazilian speakers joined a TV Globo moderator to share personal stories and reflections on the history, culture, and legacy of Afro-descendants, inspired by the theme: ※Acknowledge the past. Repair the present. Build a future of dignity and justice.§ Opened in 2021, MUHCAB is located in ※Pequena ?frica§ (Little Africa), a revitalized area of Rio de Janeiro that once served as a major disembarkation port during the transatlantic trade in enslaved people.
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