Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philémon Yang
High-Level Moment to Honor Victims of Slavery
Ark of Return, Permanent Memorial to Honor Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations, 24 September 2024
[As Delivered]
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Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for inviting me to this occasion
It is a great honor to be with you today.
I am before you because I am the President of the General Assembly.
And the General Assembly represents all the peoples and nations of the world.
While I am standing here, I also note that I am a proud African.
And I have spent my life always asking myself or trying to understand – what happened? Slavery. One of humanity’s greatest and most enduring tragedies.
It is ever present.
But we can always know that we can’t change our past.
While centuries may have passed, the impacts and echoes of the slave trade carry on.
People on both sides of the Atlantic constantly are reminded by what happened.
Not only the people near the Atlantic but people always all over the world
We are asked, almost instructed, to remember and to rejoice that we can celebrate our legacy.
Our ancestors and their descendants, lived through tremendous brutality.
But all of them have made tremendous contributions to all societies in the world.
Make no mistake, the horrors and the beauty of that period will forever influence our arts our, our culture, our music, our language and our history.
To ignore or to forget this legacy would be another opportunity lost.
And it is important to constantly be reminded that we are dealing with people in a world where there has been suffering before.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This year, we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme, a joint initiative of the Governments of Benin and Haiti.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to those Governments, to 蘑菇视频ESCO, and to all the partners who are constantly working to shape and will shape this important programme.
It is a program that has helped to advance a better understanding of the impact of slavery through research and awareness raising, as well as fueled support for the initiatives to protect and promote human rights.
As we come together today, here at the Ark of Return, a powerful symbol of a dark legacy, let us remember the tragedies of the past, celebrate the resilience of the human spirit, and commit together, to charting a brighter path forward, in solidarity.
We should constantly build hope for the future, because humankind has an opportunity to prepare a greater future for all of us.
Thank you.
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