International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination adopted

Haiti declared independence after defeating French forces. It became the first independent Black republic and the only state created through a successful revolution by enslaved people. France later...

The Act legislated emancipation across most British colonies, with a transition period that compelled many formerly enslaved people to continue labouring as apprentices. The British state...

The London Charter of the International Military Tribunal included enslavement among crimes against humanity when committed against civilian populations in connection with other crimes within the...

The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration, including a prohibition on slavery and the slave trade. It gave a universal language to abolition and human dignity, but did not determine...

States adopted a treaty to intensify efforts to abolish slavery, the slave trade and slavery-like practices. Its focus was suppression and prevention in the present and future. It did not explicitly...

The UN adopted a convention providing that statutory time limits do not apply to war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined in the postwar framework. It became relevant to later reparations...

Representative John Conyers introduced H.R. 40 in the 101st Congress. The proposal sought a commission to examine slavery, discrimination and possible reparations for African Americans. It placed...

The First Pan-African Conference on Reparations adopted the Abuja Proclamation, framing slavery, the slave trade and colonialism as harms requiring repair. It called on the international community...

MP Bernie Grant introduced an Early Day Motion welcoming the Abuja conference and urging recognition of the international community’s moral debt. Parliamentary advocacy translated a Pan-African...

The General Assembly decided to convene the World Conference against Racism, creating a global intergovernmental forum where African, Caribbean and diaspora advocates could press historical...