International Decade for People of African Descent

The International Decade for People of African Descent, 2015–2024, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in a Resolution (68/237) adopted on 23 December 2013. The theme of the International Decade is "People of African descent: recognition, justice and development".

The stated objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent are to:

The seeds of the International Decade for People of African Descent were sewn in 2001 with the third World Conference against Racism, which led to the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The Durban Declaration, in addition to declaring that the people of Africa had been victimized by slavery and continued to suffer as a result, called for states to adopt specific steps to help combat racism and xenophobia and to protect its victims. During the International Year for People of African Descent, ten years later, the UN called for these efforts to intensify. Two years later, in December 2013, the UN resolved that 1 January 2015 would launch the International Decade for People of African Descent.

On its launch, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri said:

The road to a world free from racism, prejudice and stigma is rocky. Combating racial discrimination is a long-term effort. It requires commitment and persistence. People of African descent need encouragement and support. Member States have the moral and legal obligation to provide sustained political and financial backing to make the Decade effective an[d] to continue our path toward equal and just societies.

In 2015 the UN marked the beginning of the International Decade for People of African Descent by unveiling a "Permanent Memorial for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade" on 25 March, International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, at UN Headquarters in New York City. The memorial, entitled The Ark of Return is by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, who also designed the African Burial Ground National Monument.

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