Monument To Victims Of Slave Trade Unveiled With Indian Contribution

The monument was formally inaugurated by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Sam Kutesa.

"I hope descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will feel empowered as they remember those who overcame this brutal system and passed their rich cultural heritage from Africa on to their children," Ban said.

The monument was itself designed by one such person, Rodney Leon,a descendant of slaves taken from Africa to Haiti. "It makes me feel extremely proud that I can play a role and a part in the commemoration of such an important and historic day," he was quoted in a UN report. The American architect won the design competition from among the 310 contestants from 83 countries.

"The majority of the victims of this brutal, primitive trade in human beings remain unnamed and unknown," Kutesa said. It is "an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of those unknown and unnamed enslaved Africans and honour their proud contribution to our societies, our institutions and our world."

Slavery has not entirely disappeared and persists with 21 million people now trapped in forced labour, he said "We have an obligation to stop modern slavery in whatever form it may be disguised."

Absent from the dais at the unveiling were representatives of the U.S., Britain and other European nations that participated in the slave trade.

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