The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution recognizing the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move led by Ghana that is expected to intensify global calls for reparations.
The resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, with opposition from the United States, Israel, and Argentina. Fifty-two countries, including the United Kingdom and members of the European Union, abstained.
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While not legally binding, General Assembly resolutions carry significant moral and political weight. The measure calls on member states to consider formal apologies and contributions to a reparations fund, though it does not specify financial amounts.
President John Mahama framed the vote as a historic moment.
“Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of the slave trade and those who continue to suffer racial discrimination,” he told the assembly.
“The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting. it also challenges the enduring scars of slavery.”
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa emphasized that the call for reparations is rooted in justice rather than financial gain.
“We are demanding compensation, and let us be clear, African leaders are not asking for money for themselves,” he said. “We want justice for the victims and causes to be supported, educational and endowment funds, skills training funds.”
The resolution is backed by the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), both of which have increasingly pushed for “reparatory justice” in recent years.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12 to 15 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic, with more than two million dying during the journey. The resolution highlights that the legacy of slavery continues to shape modern inequalities, affecting people of African descent globally.
However, several nations raised objections. The United Kingdom acknowledged the historical harm caused but argued against prioritizing one set of atrocities over others.
“No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant than another,” said British UN ambassador James Kariuki.
The United States also rejected the legal basis for reparations. Its UN representative, Dan Negrea, stated that the country “does not recognise a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred.”
The debate comes amid renewed global focus on historical accountability, including calls for the return of cultural artifacts taken during the colonial era. Ablakwa underscored this demand, stating, “we want a return of all those looted artefacts, which represent our heritage, our culture and our spiritual significance.”
As momentum builds, the resolution marks a significant step in the evolving international conversation on slavery, historical justice, and the long-term impacts of colonialism, issues that continue to resonate across Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora.
