TASH Candidature and Membership Requirements
This section sets out the process for countries seeking to apply to become a TASH implementing country.
A country intending to implement the TASH Standard must complete several sign-up steps before applying to become a TASH implementing country. These steps relate to government commitment, preservation of historical embarkation sites associated with the transatlantic slave trade, engagement with descendant communities and civil society, establishment of a national multi-stakeholder memorial framework, and agreement on a national TASH work plan and remembrance strategy.
Countries seeking to become TASH implementing countries are expected to publicly affirm their commitment to remembrance, reconciliation, historical truth, dignity restoration, and the preservation of the Doors of No Return and other related slave-trade embarkation sites within their territories.
To qualify for TASH implementation, governments should demonstrate commitment to:
- Preserving, protecting, and promoting all known Doors of No Return, slave ports, embarkation points, memorial grounds, and associated historical sites connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
- Supporting the “Transatlantic Slaves Homecoming” initiative, including the ceremonial acceptance and preservation of symbolic soil returned from former plantations, burial grounds, slave markets, and sites of enslavement across the Americas and other regions.
- Establishing legal, cultural, educational, or institutional mechanisms dedicated to historical remembrance, memorialization, research, and public education concerning the transatlantic slave trade and its continuing global impact.
- Engaging governments, traditional authorities, historians, academic institutions, descendant communities, civil society organizations, memorial institutions, faith leaders, and cultural stakeholders in the implementation of the TASH Standard.
- Developing national programs and memorial initiatives that promote reconciliation, historical awareness, cultural restoration, tourism development, and international cooperation related to the legacy of slavery.
- Working towards transparent and accessible pathways for Afro-descendants seeking reconnection with ancestral communities, including consideration of residency rights, cultural integration initiatives, genealogical support mechanisms, investment opportunities, and citizenship or relocation frameworks where appropriate under national laws.
Countries preparing to join the TASH Standard are encouraged to identify potential barriers to preservation, memorialization, documentation, cultural protection, and diaspora engagement from the outset, including the condition of historical sites, archival limitations, educational gaps, and legal or administrative obstacles.
How to Become a TASH Implementing Country
When the country has completed the sign-up steps and wishes to be recognized as a TASH implementing country, the government should submit a TASH application endorsed by its national TASH multi-stakeholder group or an equivalent coordinating body. The application should describe the activities undertaken to date and provide evidence that each sign-up step has been completed.
The application should include contact details for government representatives, traditional authorities, civil society organizations, academic institutions, descendant community representatives, and cultural or memorial stakeholders involved in the TASH implementation.
Once submitted, the application may be made publicly available through the TASH International Secretariat or designated TASH platform. The TASH Governing Council or Board will review the application and assess whether the sign-up steps have been completed.
The TASH International Secretariat will work closely with the senior individual appointed by the government to lead TASH implementation to clarify any outstanding issues related to memorial preservation, stakeholder participation, educational commitments, or implementation frameworks.
Based on this review and any other available information, the TASH Membership and Implementation Committee may make a recommendation, within a reasonable time, to the TASH Governing Council or Board on whether a country’s application should be accepted. The TASH Governing Council or Board will make the final decision.
When the TASH Governing Council or Board admits a TASH implementing country, it may also establish timelines for the development of national remembrance programs, preservation plans for Doors of No Return sites, memorial ceremonies, educational initiatives, and participation in the Transatlantic Slaves Homecoming initiative.
Implementing countries are encouraged to publish periodic national TASH progress reports outlining preservation activities, educational programs, memorial projects, diaspora engagement efforts, and other initiatives undertaken in support of the TASH Standard.
Request for Adapted Implementation
A prospective candidate country may encounter exceptional circumstances that would require deviation from the TASH’s implementation requirements. In such cases, the multi-stakeholder group may apply to the TASH Board for adapted implementation.
For more information, download the full guidance note on becoming a TASH implementing country.