The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) has launched a high-level mission to the United Kingdom as Caribbean leaders intensify efforts to secure reparatory justice for the enduring legacy of slavery, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.
The delegation, visiting London from July 13 to 16, is engaging with British parliamentarians, diplomats, academics, faith leaders and civil society organizations in an effort to build wider international support for the Caribbean’s reparations agenda. The programme also includes presentations at the UK Parliament and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, where commissioners are expected to outline the legal, historical and moral basis for reparations.
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Heading the mission is Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, accompanied by commissioners and regional representatives from across the Caribbean. According to CARICOM, the visit is intended to strengthen strategic partnerships, expand public education on reparatory justice, and move the movement beyond advocacy toward meaningful negotiations with former colonial powers.
The mission comes as the global reparations movement continues to gather momentum. Earlier this year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as one of history’s gravest crimes against humanity, while Caribbean governments have renewed calls for formal apologies, development partnerships, debt relief and other measures outlined in CARICOM’s Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice. Jamaica has also announced plans to petition King Charles III for legal guidance on its reparations claim later this year.
During the visit, commissioners are also expected to raise broader issues surrounding decolonisation and the future relationship between Britain and its remaining Caribbean territories. CARICOM leaders argue that reparatory justice extends beyond financial compensation and should address the long-term social, economic and institutional effects of colonial rule. They hope the latest round of discussions will lay the groundwork for sustained dialogue between the Caribbean and European governments on achieving a comprehensive framework for historical justice.
