A/HRC/60/77 49. Other participants emphasized that the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans had generated other forms of neocolonialism, which resulted in inequalities between nations – an example being Haiti – and that neither the loss endured by Africa nor ongoing economic colonization were fully captured in discussions on reparations. They also stressed the importance of poverty reduction through wealth creation and land ownership for the economic empowerment of people of African descent. 50. Ms. Reynolds enquired about the methodology used for calculating reparations, its comparability with methods used to provide reparations to other groups, and a matrix for addressing claims exceeding a country’s gross domestic product. She also enquired about determining the responsibility of religious groups, insurance companies, traders and families. Mr. Vargas replied that the numbers he had presented were a minimum due to missing data. He also explained that the methodology used for stolen labour was consistent with that used by other forums and for personal injury. He acknowledged the difficulty of evaluating sexual and gender-based violence, which might thus lead to underestimation. Mr. Obikili reiterated the importance of an inclusive calculation process, active communication and storytelling to advance the reparations agenda and urged the Working Group to develop an advocacy plan. 51. The fifth panel, on the theme “Sociocultural expectations and ramifications of reparatory justice”, was chaired by the Chair. 52. Member of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, June Soomer, explained that systemic racism was a global structural problem that was not accidental and served the economic interests of European empires by legitimizing exploitation. She noted that, although race was recognized as a social construct and racism was prohibited under international human rights treaties, racism persisted, with a profound impact on people of African descent. She mentioned that culture and education should be part of reparatory justice measures, including through the establishment of an international fund for the restitution of cultural property, the promotion of suppressed cultural practices, the decolonization of curricula and the removal or rededication of monuments. 53. Inaugural Director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Jermaine Ross-Allam, noted that white supremacy was a war against people of African descent, with denial of reparations being its socioeconomic continuation. He recommended organizing reparations through a global diasporic alliance, shifting the narrative to a moral vision and engaging faith-based organizations. 54. Global Special Collections Librarian at Princeton University Library, Mireille Djenno, highlighted the overlooked aspect of access to cultural heritage restitution. She argued that restitution should be the beginning of a new chapter, not the end, and must include clear policies to restore relationships, knowledge and agency. She noted the lack of international consensus on appropriate access to cultural heritage restitution, with several restrictions from European institutions. 55. Working Group members highlighted that people of African descent faced pressure to conform to so-called white norms, which affected their psychological well-being. They asserted the right of Africans and people of African descent to preserve their traditions, languages and ways of life for dignity, resilience and community strength. 56. Civil society representatives emphasized that reparatory justice was a transformative act that required truth-telling, healing and restoration of dignity, including acknowledging cultural damage, ensuring quality education and repatriation of artifacts and reviving ancestral languages. They stressed the need to question inherited stories and reform education to address cultural domination and prevent disconnection from roots, and the need to disaggregate data on people of African descent to address unique histories and challenges and ensure that reparations were tied to specific harms. They called for the uplift of archiving and storytelling within communities of African descent so that they could reclaim their histories. Civil society representatives emphasized the recovery of local and family histories through narration and archiving as forms of justice. 57. Civil society representatives underscored that profit from cultural exploitation must be returned to build museums and cultural centres under the leadership of Africans and people of African descent and argued that the interconnected and transnational history of 9