UN committee: Countries must consider reparations for slave trade legacy

The committee described this approach as a "paradigm shift" from historical responsibility debates, urging states to implement comprehensive reparatory measures for people of African descent that cover all aspects of remedies. These measures should include transformative actions beyond financial compensation, such as opening archives, revising public memorials, and establishing independent truth commissions.

The UN document argues that regardless of whether slavery and the slave trade were legal at the time, countries remain responsible under current international obligations to tackle their continuing effects and address structural inequalities. At least 12.5 million Africans were taken and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries, a period CERD called the largest forced displacement in history.