UNITED NATIONS — An international competition aimed at identifying an appropriate design for a memorial monument to honour the victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was launched here last Thursday with Jamaica’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Raymond Wolf, appealing for financial support for the project.

Wolf, who chairs the UN-backed permanent committee which has been mandated to oversee implementation of the US$4.5-million project, said “it could be completed by the end of 2013”.

The ambassador was among several UN and UNESCO officials and diplomats who spoke at a media briefing to launch the competition.

Jamaica first proposed the monument during the observance of the bicentennial commemorations of the abolition of slavery several years ago. African and Caribbean countries — which were severely impacted by the slave trade — have been at the forefront to have the permanent memorial established.

But Wolf and UNESCO representative Philippee Kridelka noted that all 193 member nations of the UN “are now on board”.

Kridelka noted that over US$1 million of the amount needed for the monument “has so far been collected”.

He said that the monument, when erected, will also be used as an international educational tool.

Artists, designers, sculptors, architects and other visual art professionals have until December 11 to submit their entries for a winning prize of US$50,000. The competition guidelines and rules are available at www.unslaverymemorial.org and the winner — who will be decided by an international panel of jury experts — will be announced during next Spring.