In a message on assuming duty as Chair, she lauded the Declaration, stating, “The achievement reflects the tireless advocacy of our Region and the strides made during the first decade, including global recognition of our ten-point plan for reparatory justice and the establishment of the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent.”
Prime Minister Mottley also underscored the need for more attention to this issue: “…so much remains to be done in this area. We must continue to press the international community for a mature, face-to-face conversation at all levels, so that we may see them repair the damage from the exploitation through the immoral institutions of slavery and colonialism which our people suffered from.”
A call was made by the Chair for the Region to urge the international community to provide the necessary resources to improve the dignity, security and material conditions of African-descended people worldwide.
“The spectacle of 600 million Africans without electricity in an age of [artificial intelligence] is in no way morally acceptable to us as a Community, which is part of the African diaspora that is the sixth region of Africa. In this regard, we will continue our work to strengthen our relationship with the African Union as a community of Caribbean people,” she asserted.
The announcement of the second decade was also positively received by CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) Chair, Hilary Beckles. “I welcome the observance by the United Nations of a Second International Decade for People of African Descent for continued focused attention to the advancement of African people. This is a great outcome resulting from the concerted activism of civil society and Governments in the Americas and in Africa,” Beckles stated.
The theme of the Second Decade is “People of African descent: Recognition, Justice and Development”. According to the UN, this decade will mobilise UN agencies and the international community more broadly to focus on the challenges faced by people of African descent around the world and to promote the respect, protection, and fulfilment of all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
During the first decade, from 2015 to 2024, the UN and its member states took several steps to address the challenges faced and promote the contribution of people of African descent worldwide.
At the regional level, CARICOM has been pursuing reparatory justice through its Reparations Commission, chaired by Beckles and through the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations chaired by Mottley. The University of the West Indies has established a partnership with the University of Glasgow that has led to the creation of a joint master’s programme on reparatory justice.