International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is particularly significant in 2014, year of the 210th anniversary of Haiti's independence and the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's educational and cultural programme the Slave Route Project, a pioneering project that has helped to accelerate research and raise awareness of the history of slavery and its consequences.

贩卖黑奴及其废除纪念日在2014年具有特殊力量，因为今年是海地独立210周年和教科文组织的教育文化计划“奴隶之路”20周年，“奴隶之路”是一个促进研究和宣传这段历史及其后果的先锋项目。

The history of the slave trade tells not only of the suffering endured but also of the ultimately victorious struggle for freedom and human rights, symbolized by the slave uprising in Saint-Domingue on the night of 22 to 23 August 1791. That struggle has lastingly strengthened awareness of the equality of all men and women, which we have all inherited directly. That emancipatory vision should guide us in our efforts to build a culture of tolerance and respect. UNESCO's educational and cultural programmes and support for historical research are intended to highlight the wealth of the traditions that African peoples have forged in the face of adversity – in art, music, dance and culture in its broader sense, creating indissoluble ties between peoples and continents and irreversibly transforming the face of society. This heritage is invaluable for living in peace in our globalized world on the eve of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024).
除了痛苦之外，贩卖黑奴的历史也是一段争取自由和人权并最终取得胜利的历史，这场斗争的标志便是1791年8月22日夜至23日的圣多明戈奴隶起义。他们的斗争从此使人人平等的意识深入人心，将之直接遗传给我们每个人。此种解放观应成为我们建设宽容与尊重文化工作的指导。教科文组织开展教育文化计划、支持历史研究，也是为了展示非洲人民在逆境中所创造的丰富的工艺、音乐、舞蹈和广义的文化传统，这些传统在各民族和各大洲之间建立了不可分割的联系，永远地改变了社会的面貌。在非洲裔十年（2015-2024）的前夕，这是一笔供我们在全球化的世界和睦相处的宝贵遗产。
Transmission of this history is an essential condition for any lasting peace based on mutual understanding among peoples and full awareness of the dangers of racism and prejudice. It also helps us to continue mobilizing against modern forms of slavery and trafficking in human beings that still affect more than 20 million people worldwide.
各民族只有相互理解、充分意识到种族主义和偏见的危险，才会有可持续和平，所以传递这段历史是一切可持续和平的主要条件。它还有助于与现代形式的奴役和贩卖人口行为做持续不断的斗争，因为今天世界上仍有两千多万人深受奴役和贩卖之苦。
True to the words of Aimé Césaire, who said of the Citadel in Haiti: “for these people brought to their knees, a monument was needed to make them stand”, UNESCO is contributing actively towards the design of a Permanent Memorial to and Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to be established at the United Nations Headquarters. I call on all Member States and partners of UNESCO, in schools, universities, the media, museums and places of memory, to mark this International Day and redouble their efforts to ensure that the role played by slaves in winning recognition of universal human rights is better known and taught more widely.
埃梅·塞泽尔在谈到海地城堡时曾说：“有人想使这个民族屈膝，必须树立一座丰碑使之站起来”，教科文组织将此话奉为圭臬，积极参与了安置于联合国总部的跨大西洋奴隶交易受害者永久纪念碑的设立工作。我呼吁教科文组织的所有会员国及合作伙伴在学校、大学、媒体、博物馆和纪念地庆祝该国际日，加倍努力，更好地传扬和教导奴隶在普遍人权获得承认方面发挥的作用。