UN committee issues interpretation on reparations for slavery
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued a new interpretation of an international convention, according to which States parties must take comprehensive reparatory measures for people of African descent over the harm caused by the transatlantic slave trade and its lasting consequences. Euronews reports.
The findings are set out in General Recommendation 40. The committee adopted it last week and published it on Monday. The document states that reparatory justice may include monetary, non-monetary and structural measures.
Interpretation of the convention
The committee, which consists of 18 independent human rights experts, monitors implementation of the 1969 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It has 182 States parties, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Portugal — countries involved in the transatlantic slave trade.
The committee stated that states must take active measures to restore the dignity, justice and equality of people of African descent. The document lists restitution, rehabilitation, commemoration, as well as research and disclosure of the full truth about transatlantic slavery among the components of reparations.
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Significance of the findings
Committee member Pella Boker-Wilson called the findings a turning point. According to her, the document changes the approach to reparatory justice — from historical responsibility to a contemporary legal obligation.
CERD's findings are not legally binding. At the same time, Boker-Wilson said they carry significant authoritative weight and can be used by officials during judicial review, by courts as an interpretive tool, and to support legal claims.
In March, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity. The United States and several European countries opposed the decision.
