UN Rights Chief: Legacy of Slavery and Colonialism Still Fuelling Systemic Racism Worldwide

The enduring legacy of enslavement and colonialism continues to profoundly shape the lives of Africans and people of African descent, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated on Thursday, urging immediate and comprehensive action to deliver reparatory justice that extends far beyond mere financial compensation.

More than 30 million individuals were violently torn from their African homelands and subjected to the brutal realities of lifelong enslavement.

Despite the immense scale of these atrocities, no nation historically involved in enslavement or colonial exploitation has yet fully confronted or adequately addressed this dark past.

During a high-level dialogue on reparatory justice held in Geneva, Mr. Türk described the transatlantic slave trade as a highly organized system of domination that commodified tens of millions of African men, women, and children.

He emphasized that women and girls bore the brunt of exceptionally grave abuses, including widespread sexual and gender-based violence.

Reiterating that the profound legacy of these historical injustices persists today, Mr. Türk told delegates that the consequences of both the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism more broadly ‘continue to shape who has opportunity, security, and power – and who does not.’

High Commissioner Türk noted that calls for reparatory justice are gaining significant momentum, as some states, universities, religious institutions, and corporations have begun to acknowledge and confront their historical roles in the African enslavement trade.

Racism in everyday life

The UN rights chief pointed out that racism is an everyday reality, manifesting in systemic barriers across employment, housing, education, and healthcare.

In various regions, law enforcement agencies are several times more likely to apply physical force against individuals of African descent, and members of the African diaspora remain disproportionately incarcerated within prison and criminal justice systems.

Mr. Türk also issued a warning that rapidly emerging technologies have the potential to compound these pre-existing societal inequalities.

AI could enable bias

‘Artificial intelligence and other modern technologies are already reproducing human biases,’ he cautioned, adding that ‘if we are not careful, they could deepen systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent.’

Mr. Türk stressed that reparatory justice must not be narrowly framed as a process limited solely to financial compensation.

Instead, he argued that a holistic approach is necessary, encompassing the confrontation of historical truths, formal apologies, truth-seeking initiatives, and the creation of memorials that honor the experiences and contributions of Africans and people of African descent.

Additional measures, he noted, should include the restitution of valuable cultural artifacts, targeted compensation, educational programs, public awareness campaigns, and vital medical and psychosocial support to address the deep wounds of intergenerational trauma.

To support these efforts, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has developed a series of explanatory guides designed to assist states in advancing reparatory justice, highlighting key policy measures and real-world examples of actions, including formal apologies.

Still falling short

‘No state has yet fully accounted for the historical harms of the past or the persistent reality of systemic racism today,’ he continued, noting that many nations still lack dedicated anti-racism legislation, with fewer than one in four countries possessing comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

He called for the stronger enforcement of existing legal frameworks alongside targeted investments aimed at dismantling systemic barriers to healthcare, housing, education, justice, and employment, emphasizing that Africans and people of African descent—particularly women—must be positioned at the very center of all reparatory initiatives.

Mr. Türk further urged comprehensive reforms to the international financial architecture, including policy measures to ease unsustainable debt levels and strengthen the representation of African countries in international decision-making processes.

He concluded with a poignant outlook: ‘A child born in 2026 should not have to carry the weight of centuries of racial discrimination and the horrors of the past.’

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