High Commissioner Türk: Reparatory justice can help dismantle the foundations of systemic racism

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the High-Level dialogue on Reparatory Justice for Africans and people of African descent.

The trade in enslaved Africans was an organized system of domination and oppression that treated tens of millions of African men, women and children as commodities and denied their humanity.

Women and girls endured horrific harms, including sexual and gender-based violence.

The legacy of these injustices lives on today.

Their consequences – together with those of colonialism more generally - continue to shape who has opportunity, who has security, and power – and who does not.

People of African descent are more likely to live in poverty, perpetuating inequalities from one generation to the next.

Racism is part of daily life for people of African descent, and I hear this from civil society I meet around the world: the job interview that never comes; the apartment that is suddenly unavailable; the pain that is not taken seriously in hospital; the abilities that are underestimated at school.

Police in different regions are several times more likely to use force against people of African descent.

In many countries, people of African descent are disproportionately represented in prisons and across the criminal justice system. The demographic composition of prisons is a signal of who we are excluding.

White supremacist movements are seizing on fear and division, and their narratives are creating more space in the mainstream for hatred and dehumanization.

Artificial intelligence and other technologies, and we have been very vocal about this, are already reproducing human biases. If we are not careful, they could deepen systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent.

At the global level, our economic and governance systems still reflect centuries of exploitation. Developing countries, many of which are former colonies, are burdened with unsustainable debt, preventing them from making crucial investments at home.

Meanwhile, people of African descent are woefully underrepresented where decisions are made — from local government to the boardroom to the halls of international diplomacy.

We are meeting today because there is a growing recognition of the need to acknowledge and take responsibility for the legacies of enslavement, the trade in enslaved Africans and colonialism, at international, regional and national levels. This echoes calls made by people of African descent for centuries.

The General Assembly, the African Union, CARICOM, and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - including in its recent General Recommendation 40 - have all taken steps to clarify, to advocate and to act for reparatory justice.

Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

Reparatory justice takes many forms and must not be confused with financial compensation alone.

It involves exposing and coming to terms with the truth of our common history.

It means formal apologies, truth-seeking and memorialising the experiences and contributions of Africans and people of African descent.

It means restitution of cultural artefacts, compensation, and taking steps to ensure that the events of the past will not happen again.

It involves awareness-raising and education across society, as well as medical and psychosocial support for communities of African descent to address intergenerational trauma.

In short, it requires a combination of measures to address past and ongoing injustices.

Over the past several years, countries and others have taken action in different ways.

Some governments have offered apologies to their own communities or to other States, including Belgium, Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands.

Colombia, Mexico, Portugal, and others have started memorialization projects or proclaimed commemorative anniversaries.

In France, Namibia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, some public spaces and monuments are being revisited to acknowledge the legacies of enslavement, the trade in enslaved Africans and colonialism.

Governments and institutions have started returning the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.

Local authorities, religious groups, universities, media outlets, and businesses have also begun to confront their histories.

For example, earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV apologised for the Catholic Church’s involvement in legitimising slavery and the delay in condemning it for centuries.

These are all important steps. At the same time, no State has fully accounted for the harms of the past or systemic racism today.

Many countries still lack anti-racism legislation, and not even a quarter have comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

More effective implementation of existing laws and targeted investments are crucial to remove barriers for people of African descent to access quality health, housing, education, justice and job opportunities.

Changing laws can help change attitudes, so that racism is rejected and challenged wherever it appears. Political leadership can and must pave the way.

Africans and people of African descent in all their diversity – women in particular – need to be at the heart of these efforts, so that the responses are meaningful.

States can issue apologies and create public spaces for truth-telling about their own history of enslavement and colonialism, and their ongoing consequences. They can teach a more accurate and inclusive history in schools and universities.

And we urgently need reform at the global level to help correct historical exclusions.

Reforming the international financial architecture could help ease crushing debt, while ensuring greater participation of African countries in relevant decisions. This would enable governments to invest in education, health, and other essential needs.

Decisive action on climate justice can help acknowledge that Africans and people of African descent are among those who face its harshest impacts.

My Office is a steadfast partner.

We support States in advancing the rights of Africans and people of African descent. For example, we have recently developed a set of tools to assist States in their efforts to address reparatory justice. Today, we are launching an explainer on apologies as one measure that can contribute to this process.

We will continue creating spaces for listening and dialogue with Africans and people of African descent, and we do everything in our power to help protect human rights defenders working on these issues. Our fellowship programme for people of African descent has become a group of friends around the world to promote this area of work.

A child born in 2026 should not have to carry the weight of centuries of racial discrimination and the horrors of the past.

When we repair harms we do more than reckon with history.

We help dismantle the foundations of systemic racism.

We help break the cycle of discrimination for the generations that follow.

And we help build stronger, more cohesive societies – for everyone.

Thank you.