25 March 2007
Tony Blair has called the slave trade “one of the most shameful enterprises in history,” in a message to mark the end of slavery across the British Empire.
The Prime Minister’s video message was played to the bicentenary event being held at Elmina Castle in Ghana, the site of a slave-trading post.
Read the message
This is a very special day.
Two hundred years ago, the British Parliament legislated to end the slave trade across the British Empire.
The vote in our Parliament and the efforts of the Royal Navy began the long process of disrupting and dismantling the transatlantic slave trade - one of the most shameful enterprises in history.
So it is right that this anniversary is being marked today here in Ghana’s Elmina Castle, the scene of such inhuman abuse, and in cities across the UK - in Liverpool, Hull, Bristol and London which played their role in this deplorable trade.
It is an opportunity for the United Kingdom to express our deep sorrow and regret for our nation’s role in this inhumanity and for the unbearable suffering, individually and collectively, the slave trade caused.
It presents us, too, with the chance to remember the lives of the millions who passed through this fort and many like it, never to see their homeland or families again, and to pay tribute to the courage and conviction of those who campaigned to end this vile trade.
The people who fought against slavery came from all walks of life.
They include former enslaved Africans like Olaudah Equiano, church leaders like Thomas Clarkson and statesmen like William Wilberforce.
But the campaign also involved countless men and women, black and white, now forgotten by history, from across Africa, including Ghana, from Britain and many other countries.
They prayed, organised, marched and sometimes fought to change our world for good.
We must remember them all today and celebrate the sheer power of the human spirit to overcome such injustice.
And we must use this bi-centenary to rededicate ourselves to show the same courage and dedication to tackle the challenges facing us in the 21st century.
We must act to tackle the many forms of modern day slavery, the forced recruitment of child solders, human trafficking and bonded labour.
We must remember as well that poverty, social exclusion and conflict is at the root of this cruelty.
There is a great deal more to do. But in recent years, we have also seen great progress.
The international community has come together to write off the debts of the poorest countries.
Debt relief, for example, has enabled health care charges to be scrapped in Zambia.
It has released the investment to build 2,500 primary schools in Tanzania so they can meet their target of universal primary education years ahead of schedule.
There’s been increased funding to tackle AIDS, already providing 1.6 million in poor countries with anti-retroviral drugs.
Britain is determined to continue to lead the drive to overcome all these challenges.
The goal, for example, of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation we recently launched is to save the lives of five million children a year.
The UK is committed as well to helping respond to the challenges facing the African and Caribbean diaspora.
At home, we are stepping up our drive to tackle racism and inequality in all its forms so everyone has the chance to make the most of their talents and potential.
Today, of course as we commemorate this bicentenary, we also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence.
I was delighted this month to welcome President Kufour to Downing Street during his State Visit to the UK - and to say that modern Ghana is again a beacon of hope for Africa just as it was 50 years ago.
I also want to take this chance to commend the British Council for its invaluable work in enabling people in Africa and the UK to explore our shared history, to challenge stereotypes and increase understanding.
This day in 1807 represented a historic turning point in the relationship between Africa and the UK.
In marking this bicentenary with equal reverence and celebration, we must commit ourselves to tackling the injustices in our modern world with the same energy and dedication as the courageous campaigners against the slave trade showed 200 years ago.
Thank You.
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