A/HRC/60/77 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as the foundational frameworks of the global fight against racism, which called for redress of the historical injustices rooted in slavery, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism. Ms. Joyini emphasized that the transatlantic slave trade, which had been recognized as a crime against humanity, had no statute of limitations and that there was a need for reparatory justice. She referred to the African Union’s choice of “Justice for Africa and people of African descent through reparations” as the theme for 2025 to sustain the momentum gained over the years of the collective quest for reparations. She concluded by stating that reparations should encompass multiple dimensions, including acknowledgment, apology, restitution, compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition. 7. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations, Harold Adlai Agyeman, recalled that his country’s commitment to reparatory justice was based on fairness, equality and human dignity. He highlighted the historical irony of former slave owners receiving reparations while enslaved people and their descendants had not, referring to the post-independence debt of Haiti as another injustice. Mr. Agyeman asserted that reparatory justice should address structural inequalities through actions such as the return of cultural artifacts, investment in social infrastructure and the expression of formal acknowledgments. 8. United States Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, Desirée Cormier Smith, underscored the importance of reflecting on justice, progress and the ongoing struggle for people of African descent. She noted that the path to racial equity had been met with resistance, often influenced by shifting political climates. She invited global solidarity, highlighted the relevance of the legacy of civil society’s movements for transformational change and encouraged the strengthening of ties across regions and initiatives. 9. During the second segment of the opening session, chaired by the Chair of the Working Group, Barbara Reynolds, the representatives of Cameroon, the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs made statements, as did representatives of civil society organizations. B. Election of the Chair 10. Bina D’Costa was elected Chair of the Working Group. 11. The outgoing Chair, Ms. Reynolds, welcomed Ms. D’Costa as the new Chair of the Working Group. Ms. D’Costa thanked Ms. Reynolds for her achievements during her tenure as Chair and welcomed the new member from Europe, Isabelle Mamadou. C. Organization of work 12. The Working Group adopted the agenda and programme of work for its thirty-fifth session. The Chair introduced the agenda, elaborating on its rationale and the expected outcomes of the session. She indicated that the Working Group had received several submissions from different stakeholders in preparation for the session, which also built on more than 20 years of activities, including its thematic reports. III. Activities of the Working Group (July 2024–July 2025) 13. The Chair noted that she had presented the annual report of the Working Group to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-seventh session and to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. 14. At its thirty-sixth session, the Working Group held closed meetings during which it considered internal matters, including future work in 2025 and 2026, rules of procedure, 3