OHCHR head calls ‘reparations, justice of African descent’ a top priority

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 20th Sept. UN High Commissioner for human rights Volker Türk on Tuesday said that it is high time countries made reparatory justice a priority to address the legacy of slavery and colonialism, which negatively impact the daily lives of people of African descent across the globe.

Mr. Türk called for strong leadership and political will from States to heed the call of people of African descent for accountability and redress.

The release of a new UN report sets out a series of concrete steps for governments to make reparations from former colonists a reality.

The proposed measures must be guided by people of African descent themselves, including public apology, education and awareness raising, restitution and compensation, he stated.

He noted that 30 million people were violently uprooted from Africa for enslavement over the course of 4 centuries.

When the slavery ended, policies such as segregation and apartheid perpetuated racial discrimination.

Mr. Türk stressed that reparatory justice was “not just about addressing the wrongful acts of the past” but also about building societies that are truly inclusive, equal and free from racism.