The third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001 marked a significant milestone in the fight for social justice and reparations. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) provided a crucial international framework for addressing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, as well as the lasting impacts of chattel slavery and colonialism.
In the 25 years leading up to the WCAR, there was extensive mobilisation by governments, scholars, activists, and organisations of people of African descent. This mobilisation began with the UN General Assembly Resolution 52/111 of 12 December 1997. Various regional meetings were held, including the European Regional Meeting in Strasbourg, France, the African Regional Conference in Dakar, Senegal, and the Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting in Tehran, Iran.
The WCAR process gained momentum with regional seminars and NGO forums that brought together grassroots groups, indigenous communities, and human rights defenders from worldwide. These forums played a vital role in uniting civil society and challenging historical injustices. The mobilisation of civil society helped create the political conditions necessary for the Durban conference.
The Durban conference was a significant victory for peoples of Global Africa and humanity. It led to over 200 million people in Latin America identifying as African descendants. Prior to Durban, many countries in the region did not acknowledge Black people in their census. The conference sparked a rising politics of Black people in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Venezuela.
The impact of Durban is also evident in the United States, where the battleground over reparations has made some gains in legislation. Laws such as H.R. 40 and H.Res.414 mandate an entity to study and develop proposals for reparative justice for Afro-descendants. These laws acknowledge the country’s moral and legal obligations to provide reparations for the “crime of enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people in the United States.”
Recently, the United Nations passed resolution A/RES/80/250 in March 2026, which described slavery as the gravest crime against humanity. This resolution built on the foundations laid in Durban and exposed the continuing hesitation of countries responsible for crimes against Black and Indigenous peoples to demonstrate accountability.
As the world looks to the next 25 years, the struggle for reparations and social justice continues. The movement for reparations has shown that meaningful change often comes from the grassroots, where Africans and oppressed peoples build networks and solidarity to resist racialized injustices and demand justice for historical atrocities.
Key points
- The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action provided a crucial international framework for addressing racism and related intolerance.
- The WCAR process led to increased recognition of African descendants in Latin America, with over 200 million people now identifying as African descendants.
- The struggle for reparations continues, with gains in legislation and growing momentum for accountability and justice.
