An international conference on "Colonialism: Erasure of Religious and National Identity" commenced in Baku on March 29, organized by the Baku Initiative Group.

The event brings together leaders and representatives of independence movements, as well as families of political prisoners, from territories under French and Dutch colonial rule, including Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Kanaky (New Caledonia), Corsica, Martinique, Réunion, Bonaire, French Polynesia, Mayotte, and Wallis and Futuna.

Discussions focus on the erasure of religious and national identity under colonial rule, assimilation policies, restrictions on native languages, suppression of religious beliefs, forced name changes, and the rewriting of history to fit imperial narratives. The conference also addresses the consequences of colonial policies, global anti-colonial movements, preservation of national heritage, the release of political prisoners, and demands for reparations.

Additionally, the conference is expected to include the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Baku Initiative Group and one of the independence movements.