GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Caricom Reparations Commission (CRC) is urging Caribbean nations and the global African diaspora to continue the pursuit of reparatory justice, saying the struggle for equality and redress remains unfinished despite the abolition of slavery.

In an Emancipation Day message, the Commission paid tribute to the courage and resilience of enslaved Africans who fought for their freedom, describing their resistance as a defining moment in the region’s history.

The Commission said Emancipation Day is not only a celebration of freedom but also a reminder that the fight for justice, dignity and equality continues.

This year’s observance, it noted, carries added significance following the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption on March 25 of a declaration recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.

According to the Commission, the declaration validates what descendants of enslaved Africans, historians and reparations advocates have argued for decades—that the transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery were crimes whose consequences continue to shape the social, economic and political realities of Caribbean societies.

The Commission said the UN declaration strengthens the moral and political foundation for reparatory justice and represents a major milestone in the international community’s acknowledgement of the historical injustice suffered by Africans and their descendants.

The CRC also noted that Emancipation Day coincides with preparations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

Describing the Durban Declaration as the most comprehensive international framework for addressing the enduring legacy of slavery, colonialism and systemic racism, the Commission called on governments around the world to recommit themselves to its full implementation and reject efforts to weaken its relevance.

The Commission said that for Caricom, Emancipation Day remains closely linked to the regional campaign for reparatory justice.

It argued that while slavery ended, political freedom did not erase the structural inequalities created by centuries of exploitation.

“The wealth extracted from enslaved African labour financed the development of European empires while leaving Caribbean societies to contend with underdevelopment, economic dependency and persistent racial disparities,” the Commission said.

It maintained that those historic injustices continue to impede sustainable development across the region and require meaningful redress.

The Commission also highlighted the relaunch of the expanded Caricom Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment, describing it as a framework for dialogue between former colonising states, private corporations, churches, academic institutions and civil society.

According to the Commission, the plan is intended to encourage acknowledgement of historical responsibility and advance reparatory justice as an essential component of reconciliation and sustainable development.

As Caribbean countries commemorate Emancipation Day, the Commission called on the region to honour the sacrifices of those who resisted enslavement by continuing to build societies free from racism, discrimination and exclusion.

“Together, let us transform remembrance into resolve and justice into reality for present and future generations,” the Commission said