The Committee seeks feedback on its first draft of a General Recommendation on reparations for the transatlantic trade in Africans for chattel slavery and the ensuing and continuing harms inflicted on people of African descent.

Contributions are welcome from all stakeholders, including States, United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms, United Nations entities and specialised agencies, national human rights institutions, civil society and grassroot organisations, research institutions, academia and other relevant stakeholders. Submissions may be made in any of the six official UN languages. All contributions received will be published on the OHCHR website, unless confidentiality is specifically requested

Background

At its 113th session (August 2024), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) decided to prepare a new general recommendation on reparations and appointed its Vice-Chair, Ms. McDougall, as Rapporteur. During its 114th session (December 2024), the Committee held a thematic discussion on developing a general recommendation concerning reparations for the transatlantic trade in Africans for chattel slavery and the ensuing and continuing harms inflicted on people of African descent. The proposed General Recommendation seeks to clarify the scope and content of the right to reparations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), as well as in light of other relevant norms of international law.

To inform this process, the Committee issued a call for input and held a half-day of general discussion on 25 April 2025 during its 115th session in Geneva. The event brought together States parties, United Nations entities, regional organizations, civil society, academics, and individual experts to examine legal frameworks for reparations and the contemporary legacies of chattel enslavement. Building on this discussion and the 56 written submissions received through the initial call for input, the Committee initiated the process of drafting the General Recommendation on reparations and adopted its first draft at an online meeting/consultation on 26 September 2025 (as the August session was cancelled). The Committee wishes to invite all interested stakeholders to provide comments on this first draft.

Documentation

• Draft General Recommendation