United Nations, USA | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through education, which he said is “the most powerful weapon.” “It is incumbent on us to fight slavery’s legacy of racism,” Guterres told a UN General Assembly event marking the International Day of …
Read More »Biden calls on U.S. to acknowledge and condemn history of slavery
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday urged Americans to “acknowledge and condemn the history of slavery”. Biden, in a proclamation on Juneteenth Day, also called upon the United States to “recognize how the impact of America’s original sin remains. ” “This Juneteenth, we are freshly reminded …
Read More »A beacon of human rights? — Human trafficking facts in United States
Up to 100,000 people are trafficked into the United States for forced labor annually Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | For a long time, the United States has proclaimed itself as a “beacon of human rights.” The facts, however, show that America not only acts too slowly to protect human rights, …
Read More »Slavery not allowed in 21st century: UN chief
United Nations | Xinhua | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated that slavery is not allowed in the 21st century. Commemorating the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, the UN chief highlighted the impact of the contemporary forms of slavery, underscoring that “such abhorrent practices have no space in the …
Read More »US marks ‘Juneteenth’ end of slavery amid tensions over racist past
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States marks the end of slavery by celebrating Juneteenth on Friday, with the annual unofficial holiday taking on renewed significance as millions of Americans confront the nation’s living legacy of racial injustice. Demonstrations, prayers and cultural celebrations of food and music will enliven …
Read More »UN rights chief urges reparations for colonialism, slavery
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN’s human rights chief urged countries Wednesday to confront the legacy of slavery and colonialism and to make amends for “centuries of violence and discrimination” through reparations. Addressing an urgent debate on racism and police brutality at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet called on countries …
Read More »Son of Guinea’s first president faces forced labor charges in Texas
Washington, United States | AFP | The son of Guinea’s first president and his wife face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty in Texas of holding a young woman as a domestic slave. Mohamed Toure, 57, and Denise Cros-Toure, 57, appeared in a federal court in Fort …
Read More »Mauritania jails 3 for up to 20 years for slavery
Nouakchott, Mauritania | AFP | A Mauritanian court has jailed three people for between 10 and 20 years for slavery, a crime that critics say has gone widely unpunished in the conservative West African country. A judicial source said a special court in the northwest town of Nouadhibou this week …
Read More »Trudeau urges international community to fight Libyan slavery
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday urged the international community to “do more” following reports of the “abhorrent and despicable” enslavement of vulnerable African refugees arriving in Libya. “Canada will not stay silent in the face of such inhumane atrocities,” Trudeau said in a statement …
Read More »EU working without ‘letup’ to help migrants in Libya
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU said Thursday it is working without “letup” for a durable solution to the plight of migrants in Libya, adding it shared French President Emmanuel Macron’s anger over slave markets there. The US network CNN triggered a wave of condemnation when it aired footage last …
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