In resolution 62/122 of December 17, 2007, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 25 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, with the first official observance in 2008. The date marks the anniversary of the UK's Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, passed on March 25, 1807. The day honors and remembers the millions of Africans kidnapped, sold, and enslaved through the transatlantic slave trade over more than three centuries — one of history's most horrific human rights violations. The UN resolution also calls for a permanent outreach program to teach new generations about the trade's causes, consequences, and lessons, and to warn against the dangers of racism and intolerance today. The UN, museums, and cultural institutions worldwide mark the occasion with historical exhibitions, educational lectures, and commemorative events honoring the victims.