Over four centuries,
more than 18 million
people were forcefully
removed from Africa to
the Americas (including
the Caribbean)
and Europe.
For those who survived
the horrific middle
passage, thousands of
them would later perish
as a result of the cruel
and inhuane treatment
meted out to them and
from the appauling
conditions in which they
had to exist on the
plantations.
The Permanent Memorial
will serve as a reminder
of the legacy of the
slave trade. It will
provide future
generations an
understanding of the
history and consequences
of slavery and serves as
an educational tool to
raise awareness about
the current dangers of
racism, prejudice and
the lingering
consequences that
continue to impact the
descendants of the
victims today.
The Permanent Memorial
acknowledges one of the
most horrific tragedies
of modern history. It is
a reminder of the heroic
actions of the slaves,
abolitionists and unsung
heroes who acted in the
face of grave danger and
adversity.
The Memorial's placement
at United Nations
Headquarters is a
significant symbol of
what the world body
represents: the
promotion and
preservation of the
dignity and worth of all
human beings -
principles that are
central to its Charter.
In
an effort to acknowledge the tragedy of
slavery, racial prejudice and the lingering
consequences of the centuries-long
enslavement of and trade in Africans
supplied to the colonies of the Americas and
beyond, the General Assembly adopted
resolution A/RES/62/122 in December 2007
entitled: Permanent Memorial to and
Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and
the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This was the
second of four successive resolutions on the
issue.
Recognizing how little is known about the
more than 400-year-long transatlantic slave
trade and its lasting consequences, the
resolution welcomes the increased attention
that the General Assembly brought to the
issue when it observed, for the first time
on 25 March 2007 through resolution A/RES/61/19,
the International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic
Slave Trade, including the raising of its
profile in many States.
The
Permanent Memorial initiative should also be
viewed, in a wider context, as a partial
fulfilment of paragraph 101 of the Durban
Declaration, adopted as an outcome of the
international conference against racism held
under the auspices of the United Nations, in
Durban, South Africa in 2001. The paragraph,
inter alia, calls upon the international
community to honour the memory of the
victims of slavery.
Resolution A/RES/63/5, adopted by consensus
in October 2008, stresses the importance of
educating and informing future generations
about the causes, consequences and lessons
of the slave trade and slavery, and welcomes
the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) proposal
to erect, "at a place of prominence at
United Nations Headquarters that is easily
accessible to delegates, United Nations
staff and visitors, a permanent memorial in
acknowledgment of the tragedy and in
consideration of the legacy of slavery and
the transatlantic slave trade".
A
Committee of interested States was
established to oversee the permanent
memorial project, drawn from all
geographical regions, with Member States
from the Caribbean Community and the African
Union playing a primary role. Additionally,
the initiative has the full endorsement of
the UN Secretary General, who has directed
the UN Office for Partnerships to assist the
Permanent Memorial Committee with technical
advice and strategic guidance for its
implementation.
In
November 2009, the General Assembly adopted
resolution A/RES/64/15 by consensus. The
resolution, which was co-sponsored by 147
Member States, endorsed the establishment of
a Trust Fund, and welcomed the appointment
of the Goodwill Ambassador. It also speaks
to the role of UNESCO in launching an
international design competition for the
permanent memorial, as well as to assist the
Committee in defining guidelines for the
selection process.
The
Permanent Memorial Committee
The
Permanent Memorial Committee is chaired by the
Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Jamaica.
Its role is to manage the overall project and
provide oversight of the Trust Fund for the
permanent memorial initiative.
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The
Permanent Memorial Committee invited private and
public partners to join its Advisory Board to
provide guidance for the development of this
project. The inaugural meeting of the Advisory
Board was convened on 16 November 2009.
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In
2009, US entrepreneur and philanthropist,
Russell Simmons,
was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the
permanent memorial initiative.
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