The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed annually on March 25, is a crucial moment for reflection, remembrance, and raising awareness of one of the most tragic chapters in human history. Established by the United Nations in 2007, this day aims to honor the memory of the millions of women, men, and children who were victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, while also highlighting the lasting consequences of these crimes on contemporary societies.

This commemoration must not be limited to a historical reminder. It raises a current question: how can we transform this memory into a lever for public action? The legacies of the transatlantic slave trade—inequality, discrimination, and structural imbalances—remain visible and demand concrete responses.

In this context, CAFRAD’s role can be seen at three concrete levels:

• integrating memory into African public governance;
• strengthening inter-African cooperation on shared memory; and
• training leaders sensitive to the challenges of transitional justice.

International Day of March 25 is not simply an act of commemoration. It is, in the words of the United Nations, an essential step in healing the present and building a future of dignity and justice for communities that still bear, in their very being and in their collective history, the scars of this tragedy.

For CAFRAD, an African institution by vocation and mandate, fully participating in this Day means affirming that good governance in Africa cannot be built by ignoring the wounds of the past. On the contrary, it is by naming them and drawing the necessary institutional lessons that the continent can move towards a truly equitable, inclusive, and sovereign public administration.