Little progress has been achieved at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa (31 August -7 September). This appears largely to be due to the unwillingness of government delegations from countries that benefited from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to express any formal apology for the gross abuse inflicted on millions of Africans over almost four centuries.

Anti-Slavery considers that those States that have benefited from slavery also have a moral duty to grant reparation to victims of slave trade. This should include undertaking measures to ensure that the truth about the slave trade is accurately documented and not forgotten, for example through education programmes, memorials and commemorative days.

However, reparation should also take the form of material compensation from States that have benefited from the slave trade. This compensation should be targeted at redressing the impact of slavery on the most disadvantaged groups and communities. The method of compensation could take many forms, including: full payment of
0.7 per cent of GNP to development assistance, debt cancellation, reduced tariffs or import duties, technology transfers, or trust funds on a country by country basis to provide remedies to those who have suffered most as a consequence of the slave trade.

States need to acknowledge their role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and address the legacy of the slave trade for many communities in the world today. Governments must also make it a priority to tackle the many contemporary forms of slavery which affect millions of people around the world and are often linked to racism, discrimination and xenophobia.