BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The Baku Initiative
Group (BIG) has issued a statement regarding the resolution adopted
by the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026, declaring the
transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity,”
Trend reports.


Trend presents the
statement:


“The Baku Initiative Group fully supports the resolution adopted
by the UN General Assembly, which declares the transatlantic slave
trade the ‘gravest crime against humanity.’


Considering support for the struggle of peoples who suffered
under colonialism for freedom as one of its main missions, the Baku
Initiative Group regards this resolution as an important step
toward eliminating centuries-long colonial discrimination and
historical injustice against people of African descent.


The transatlantic slave trade, as the most brutal manifestation
of the colonial system, forcibly enslaved millions of people and
deprived entire nations of economic, cultural, and social
development. The consequences of this heavy legacy continue to this
day.


The Baku Initiative Group views the issue of reparations not
only as financial compensation but as an integral part of a broader
concept of justice. The organization has repeatedly raised issues
such as official apologies, the return of cultural heritage looted
during the colonial period, the establishment of educational and
trust funds, and the creation of international mechanisms to ensure
that such crimes are never repeated.


The organization has consistently highlighted the injustices
faced by people of African descent on international platforms. In
this regard, it actively participated in the 35th session of the
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the 4th
session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, held
at UN Headquarters in December 2024 and April 2025, respectively.
At these sessions, the Baku Initiative Group once again raised the
issues of eliminating neocolonialism and protecting the rights of
people of African descent in territories subjected to
colonialism.


Furthermore, numerous reports have been published on people of
African descent still living under colonial rule, and a report on
these activities was submitted to the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights. The reference to the Baku Initiative Group in the UN
Secretary-General’s report confirms that the organization is
recognized as a trusted international partner and serves as an
important platform for conveying the voices of peoples subjected to
colonialism to the global community.


The Baku Initiative Group calls on UN member states to take
practical steps to implement the provisions of this resolution, to
deepen dialogue on reparations, and to undertake concrete
commitments toward achieving historical justice.”