During his speech in New York on Friday, UN Secretary General Guterres once again urged the international community to achieve historical justice and provide compensation for the African people and overseas communities of African descent.

He stated that Africa is a continent full of infinite vitality and potential. However, for a long time, the enormous injustice caused by slavery, transatlantic slave trade, and colonialism has not been recognized and resolved.

The United Nations has repeatedly declared that slavery and the transatlantic slave trade constitute crimes against humanity. Guterres has also repeatedly called for the correction of these historical injustices.

During his attendance at the African Dialogue series on the theme of "Justice through Compensation," Guterres pointed out that with the launch of the second decade for people of African descent until 2035, the global movement for justice through compensation is growing stronger.

The first decade that just ended in 2024 has achieved substantial results, with over 30 member states revising their laws to better address racial discrimination. But Guterres emphasized that there is still a lot of work to be done urgently.

He said, "We reveal the legacy of slavery and colonialism not to create division, but to heal wounds

The Long Shadow of Colonialism
Guterres emphasized the deep-rooted characteristics of racism and exploitative systems, pointing out that these systems continue to harm the interests of African countries and people of African descent even after the end of colonialism and slavery.

He stated that the process of decolonization has not freed African countries or communities of African descent from the structural biases that support colonial systems. In fact, at the time of the establishment of the United Nations and many global systems, many African countries were still under colonial rule.

Guterres pointed out that when African countries gained independence, they inherited a system designed to serve others rather than themselves.

  He stated that understanding the true history will become a powerful guide for people on their journey towards progress.

Breaking the legacy and promoting systemic change
To eliminate the inequality in this system, the Secretary General calls on the international community to reform the international financial system that has imposed a heavy burden on developing countries in Africa and the Caribbean. He particularly emphasized the need to restructure the debt systems that have suffocated the economies of these countries.

The United Nations has previously released a report stating that some poor countries' debt expenditures have exceeded their total investment in healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Guterres also called for large-scale investment in clean energy infrastructure in Africa, which is suffering from the severe impact of climate change.

He pointed out that African countries are not the creators of the climate crisis, but they have to bear the catastrophic consequences of global warming. The Secretary General also reiterated the need to establish a permanent seat on the Security Council for African member states.

UN President Philemon Young emphasized the urgency of the Secretary General's speech and urged member states to take immediate action.

He pointed out that it is currently a critical moment to translate policy recommendations into legal rights, translate historical apologies into concrete actions, and transform development visions into accountability mechanisms.