The night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the slave uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the slave trade.

On 12 November 1997, the UNESCO General Conference, during its ninth session, has proclaimed the 23 August of every year the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition, inviting “Member States to give this international day all due prominence and to mobilize their educational, scientific, artistic and cultural communities, youth and, in general, civil society”.

On August 23, 2011 fourteen states have organized some events to mark this day (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Senegal, Argentina, Colombia, Honduras, Uruguay, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and Canada).

Unfortunately, on 23 August 2012 only one state has organized events to celebrate the date (Brazil).

Colonialism Reparation calls on all the Member States of UNESCO to worthily celebrate 23 August of each year the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition, aware that it has dramatically influenced the last five centuries of the world history and that racism will be defeated only by overcoming it.