International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/62/122
About International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed on 25 March. The UN General Assembly established the annual observance through resolution 62/122 in 2007, with annual commemoration beginning in 2008.
The day honours people who suffered and died under the transatlantic slave trade and slavery and supports education about their history and enduring legacies, including racism and prejudice.
Why International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade matters
Remembrance requires more than describing the scale of the trade. Useful educational work should centre the humanity, resistance and experiences of enslaved people while explaining the institutions, economies and racial ideologies that sustained slavery.
The observance should not be merged with the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December, which has a different date origin and a contemporary anti-slavery focus.
History of International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
In 2006, the UN General Assembly designated 25 March 2007 for the bicentenary commemoration of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Resolution 62/122 then established 25 March as an annual International Day of Remembrance beginning in 2008.
The UN explains that 25 March is linked to the British Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, passed on 25 March 1807. The annual outreach programme also promotes education about the causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 62/122
First documented observance
The reviewed UN history states that the annual remembrance observance began in 2008 after the 2007 bicentenary commemoration.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Use archives, museum collections, ship records, oral histories and scholarship to study the lives of enslaved people and their descendants.
Examine resistance, abolition movements and the ways enslaved people asserted agency without romanticizing violence or suffering.
Study how slavery and the transatlantic trade shaped particular countries, ports, institutions or economies.
Discuss the continuing legacies of racial discrimination using current, locally relevant evidence.
When teaching traumatic material, use age-appropriate sources and avoid graphic content that adds shock without educational value.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Facts
The observance is held on 25 March.
The UN General Assembly established the annual day through resolution 62/122 in 2007.
Annual observance began in 2008.
The UN links 25 March to the British Abolition of the Slave Trade Act passed on 25 March 1807.
This day is distinct from the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Messages
May International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade be marked with reflection, respect and a renewed commitment to protect human dignity.
Remembering on International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade means listening carefully, resisting distortion and carrying the lessons of history forward.
On International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, may memory lead to responsibility, empathy and thoughtful action.
May this International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade honour those at its heart through sincere remembrance rather than empty words.
On International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, we remember with dignity and make space for the people, families and communities whose experiences must not be forgotten.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Quotes
“Together, let us commit to a world where all people live and thrive in dignity.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/62/122 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — How did this day come about? / Why 25 March? (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (opens in a new tab)
un.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
25 March The documented recurrence rule is: 25 March.
Does International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations international remembrance observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations international remembrance observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
Why is the remembrance day on 25 March?
The United Nations links 25 March to the British Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which was passed on 25 March 1807.
When did the annual UN observance begin?
The General Assembly established the annual day through resolution 62/122 in 2007, with annual observance beginning in 2008.
Is this the same as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery?
No. The 25 March observance centres remembrance of victims of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. The 2 December observance focuses on the abolition of contemporary forms of slavery and has a different historical date basis.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions use the cited evidence to clarify scope without treating related observances as identical.
Is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade the same as International Day for the Abolition of Slavery?
The 25 March remembrance day honours victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade and supports education about that history and its legacies. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December focuses on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery and is tied to a different UN historical date.
Open International Day for the Abolition of Slavery →Distinction sources
Is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade the same as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition?
The 25 March UN observance and the 23 August UNESCO observance both address slavery history but have different institutional origins, dates and framing; they should not be collapsed into one day.
Open International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition →Distinction sources
Other observances on March 25
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