NEW YORK, USA — The United Nations (UN) committee working to establish a permanent memorial in honour of the victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade says it is facing a shortfall in the amount needed to erect the monument here.

As of May this year contributions to a trust fund which has been set up for the purpose totalled US$1.476 million with a current balance of $1.05 million after expenses.

Jamaica’s permanent representative to the world body, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, told a group of donor countries on Friday, September 26 that “a further US$500,000 was needed to meet the committee’s target of US$2 million for the project”.

Five countries — Qatar, Spain, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Senegal — contributed a combined total of US$70,000.

Ambassador Rattray praised his predecessor, Ambassador Raymond Wolf, for his work in moving the process forward and expressed “confidence that the US$2 million target will be reached”.

He expressed gratitude to those who had contributed to the permanent trust fund and appealed for contributions from other donor countries, foundations, endowments and individuals.

Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister AJ Nicholson, who also addressed the group, said Jamaica was proud of playing a leading role in what he described as a most important matter.

Erection of the permanent memorial, ‘The Ark Of Return’, is now scheduled for March next year, after being postponed from this year.

Designed by New York architect Rodney Leon, ‘The Ark Of Return’ was chosen last year from more than 300 entries worldwide as the permanent memorial.