Guterres said the transatlantic slave trade “laid the foundations for a violent discrimination system based on white supremacy.”
“We call for reparatory justice frameworks to help overcome generations of exclusion and discrimination,” the U.N. chief said.
Experts say at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by European ships and merchants, and sold into slavery between the 15th and 19th centuries. A U.N. report released in September suggested countries consider slavery reparations.