| International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | globally |
| Type | International |
| Date | 25 March |
| Next time | 25 March 2024 |
| Frequency | annual |
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observance designated in 2007 to be marked on 25 March every year.
The day honours and remembers those who suffered and died as a consequence of the transatlantic slave trade, which has been called "the worst violation of human rights in history",[1] in which over 400 years more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims.[2]
It was first observed in 2008 with the theme "Breaking the Silence, Lest We Forget".[3] The theme of 2015 was "Women and Slavery".[2] The International Day also "aims at raising awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today".[2]
With 2015 marking the start of the UN's International Decade for People of African Descent, a permanent memorial was unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York,[4] entitled "The Ark of Return"[5] and designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, who also designed the African Burial Ground National Monument.[6]