Geneva, 27/03/2023 -(MAP) – Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN, Omar Zniber, presided over a ceremony dedicated to the commemoration of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade in Geneva on Monday.
Organized by the Permanent Delegation of the African Union, the African Group and the NGO « World Against Racism Network », on the sidelines of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, this event comes to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, in accordance with the decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations, adopted in December 2007, which proclaimed March 25 of each year as the International Day for the Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery.
The purpose of this day is to honor the memory of those who lost their lives to slavery and those who suffered the horrors of the Atlantic crossing and their struggle for freedom, explained Zniber, in his capacity as chairman of the African Group, noting that it is also a day devoted to examining the causes and consequences of the transatlantic slave trade, as well as the lessons learned from it, in order to raise awareness of the dangers of racism and stereotypes.
The abolition of slavery must not remain a static point in history, he stressed, adding that the « abolition of slavery must enable us to look forward to a better future in which our determination » to combat all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance must be stronger than ever and translated into effective action.