UNESCO urges end to modern slavery as Trump's comments spark outrage

​​​​​​​A UN agency on Saturday urged the abolition of modern forms of human exploitation, even as renewed scrutiny of US historical institutions raised concerns about how slavery and its legacy are remembered.

“It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all and to recognise the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual,” Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said in a statement for International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

Observed annually on August 23, the day marks the beginning of the 1791 uprising in then-Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, which played a pivotal role in ending the transatlantic slave trade. It aims to honour the memory of millions of enslaved people and acknowledge the global consequences of slavery, including its enduring effect on societies today.

Azoulay emphasised that “victims and freedom fighters” of the past continue to serve as examples for “future generations to build just societies.”

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed noted that the “fight is not over” as modern slavery persists in various forms. “Let’s confront injustice, past and present, and uphold the dignity and rights of every person,” she said.

Trump sparks outrage

The commemoration coincides with increasing political pressure on US cultural institutions, including Smithsonian museums, because of how they present American history, particularly race, slavery and identity.

On August 19, US President Donald Trump criticised the Smithsonian Institution as “out of control” and alleged it focuses excessively on past injustices. His comments sparked outrage.

“Everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” he wrote on social media.

The post came after the White House launched a sweeping review of eight Smithsonian museums to ensure they “celebrate American exceptionalism” and remove “divisive or ideologically driven language.