International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is celebrated on 23 August every year. This day is designated by UNESCO to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade. UNESCO member states organize every year to celebrate the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Abolition, inviting participation from young people, educators, artists, etc. The date was chosen by the adoption of resolution 29 C/40 by the Organisation’s General Conference at its 29th session. International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 is observed in memory of all victims of the slave trade and also aspires to promote critical examinations of such behaviors that could lead to modern forms of exploitation and slavery. The slave trade started way earlier when the Portuguese began trafficking African captives in the 1440s. The number of persons transported from Africa is uncertain due to the lack of reliable records, although it is estimated to be between 9 and 11 million.

 List of Important Days in August 2023

International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 History

• International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 involved trading ships from Europe, sailing from Europe with manufactured goods to the West coast of Africa, where the goods would be exchanged for people captured by African traders.
• The transatlantic trading patterns were established in the mid-17century. The transatlantic slave trade benefited the colonial powers of Western Europe primarily.
• More than 4,80,000 people were enslaved in the British Colonies by the 1790s. Enslaved people were forced to toil on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas.
•  International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is observed to commemorate the uprising on August 23, 1791, in Santo Domingo, Haiti, which played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Download the List of Important Days in August 2023 with Themes PDF

International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 Theme

Every year International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is celebrated on 23 August and a specific theme is allotted. The theme of International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 is “Fighting slavery's legacy of racism through transformative education".

International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 Significance

• The United Nations designated this day to remember and honor the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all people who were dehumanized by the cruel practice or systemic racism.
• International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition celebrates the freedom of people enslaved. It also remembers and honors all victims of this terrible practice of slavery.
• This day is a celebration of human rights. This day is proof that people eventually do get justice.
• International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition brings together to fight for a common goal. People come together to fight for justice and the greater good.

International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 Quotes

“Slavery is theft - theft of work, theft of any property or produce, theft even of the children a slave might have borne.”

“Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.”

International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 FAQs

Q: When is International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is observed?

A: International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is observed on 23 August.

Q: What is the theme of International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023?

A: The theme of International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition 2023 is “Fighting slavery's legacy of racism through transformative education”.