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The UN General Assembly approved a resolution that classifies the transatlantic slave trade and the racialized slavery of Africans as "the most serious crime against humanity" in history.
The was adopted with 123 votes in favor, three against—United States, Argentina, and Israel—and 52 abstentions, as reported by the international organization.
The initiative, driven by a coalition of 60 countries from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, acknowledges that this system of exploitation, in place for over four centuries, constitutes a violation of international law whose effects persist to this day.
The text emphasizes that slavery had no historical precedents, as it established a global system that turned human beings into hereditary property, institutionalizing racial hierarchies and models of economic exploitation.
The resolution also states that these crimes are not subject to statutes of limitations and that states have the responsibility to repair the damages caused, opening the door to discussions about compensation and historical justice.
In this regard, the document urges the promotion of an international dialogue that includes formal apologies, reparations, restitution programs, and measures to combat structural racism.
The UN also highlighted the specific impact on African women and girls, who are subjected to sexual violence, forced reproduction, and other forms of exploitation, as well as the historical resilience of African peoples against this system.
Among the proposed measures are the strengthening of educational programs, the preservation of historical memory, and the restitution of cultural assets to their countries of origin.
The resolution is part of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent and coincides with the anniversary of international instruments against slavery, reinforcing the global debate about its current consequences.
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