Colombia's VP Calls for Reparations at UN Forum

Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez called on former colonial powers to take responsibility for slavery's legacy at a UN forum. She emphasized the ongoing impact on Afro-descendants and urged further actions for reparations to tackle systemic racism. The event highlighted concerns over biases in emerging technologies.

Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez has called on former colonial powers to acknowledge and address the enduring impact of slavery, as she spoke at a United Nations gathering focused on people of African descent in New York.

Marquez, Colombia's first Black woman vice president, insisted that nations which benefited from slavery accept their role in restoring dignity to Afro-descendants. While reparations are gaining attention globally, Marquez noted that the backlash persists, particularly among European leaders.

Highlighting the ongoing struggles for Afro-Colombians, Marquez stressed that reparations are crucial for addressing systemic racism. The UN forum also addressed potential biases in emerging technologies like AI, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressing the need to eliminate racial biases within these innovations. Brazil's Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, also attended, affirming slavery's status as a crime against humanity.

(With inputs from agencies.)