Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination stressed that slavery is not only a historical issue but one with ongoing consequences, requiring comprehensive restorative justice measures such as compensation, restitution, rehabilitation, and structural reforms.
The committee stated that the passage of time should not prevent States from recognizing past injustices or implementing restorative justice and accountability mechanisms.
It advocates for national action plans with specific deadlines, developed in consultation with people of African descent and reparations committees, to ensure the effectiveness of reparations efforts.
The committee also urged States to repeal or amend laws and policies that perpetuate racial discrimination or hinder restorative justice, calling for significant transformation of related laws, policies, and institutions.
Private and other non-State actors, including religious organizations, universities, businesses, banks, insurers, and financial institutions that participated in or profited from the trafficking of enslaved Africans, were highlighted as having responsibilities to contribute to reparations proportionate to their involvement.
The experts noted that harms linked to enslavement persist today as systemic racial discrimination, structural inequities, racialized violence, and stereotypes continue to affect impacted communities.