International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

We thank the Chair of the Permanent Council for convening this special meeting, and the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General and his team for the efforts made to commemorate the Inter-American Week for People of African Descent in the Americas. We likewise thank the presenters for the important information provided today.

Madam Chair,

Latin America and the Caribbean have a rich ethnic and racial diversity, bound up with historical processes that include original settlements, European colonization, and the subjugation and massacre of native inhabitants; the kidnapping and forced migration of African people in a context of slavery; followed by struggles, by projects of independence and nationhood, and by constant migratory flows. For centuries, millions of African men, women and children were victims of the abhorrent transatlantic slave trade.

The history of the Dominican Republic has been linked from its beginnings to our heritage of African descent.

In our historical roots the contributions of Africa and of people of African descent are visible, adding to our national diversity in ethnic, cultural and social terms.

We also recognize the fundamental role that young people play in our societies, and we firmly believe that they are agents of change for achieving more just and inclusive societies.

For that reason, increasing the participation of young people of African descent in our Hemisphere, in every aspect of social life, is an important challenge before us.

The aim is to change the patterns of exclusion and discrimination that people of African descent have lived through across the region.

Young people of African descent face great challenges linked to poverty, exclusion, racism and inequality, which bear directly on their education. This concerns us, because the young tend to be more open to influence. That is why it is necessary to provide them with education that is accessible, equal and inclusive.

Madam Chair,

Guaranteeing the right to education of people of African descent is fundamental to achieving greater social cohesion and to increasing productivity and creativity in our countries. This effort must be aligned with the sustainable development goals and must take account of technological change, so as to break the mechanisms by which inequality reproduces itself.

The declaration of the Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Education, held on November 26, 2022, in Santo Domingo, states that “education is a fundamental human right, the basis for peace, sustainable development and social justice, and an indispensable instrument for the survival of humanity,” and it was agreed to promote, within that framework, the relevant lines of action and activities for incorporating digital resources into teaching and learning, guaranteeing quality and greater equity in serving groups in vulnerable situations.

Finally, we consider it necessary to implement mechanisms of inclusion that help strengthen the leadership of people of African descent in our countries, and to guarantee and recognize equality and the right to be happy, especially for the young.

Thank you very much.