The United Nations General Assembly has voted to recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move intended to promote healing and justice. The resolution, proposed by Ghana, encourages UN member states to consider issuing apologies for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund, although it does not specify a monetary amount. The proposal was adopted with 123 votes in favour, three against—by the United States, Israel, and Argentina—and 52 abstentions, including the United Kingdom and EU member states. While UN General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry significant moral and diplomatic weight.
Ghana’s President, John Mahama, emphasized the symbolic importance of the vote, stating that it honours the memory of the millions who suffered and continues to challenge the lasting impacts of slavery. Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa highlighted that the call for reparations is focused on justice for victims rather than personal gain by African leaders. Reparations, he explained, could take the form of educational and endowment funds, skills training, and initiatives to address enduring inequalities caused by the slave trade.
The resolution is backed by the African Union and the Caribbean Community, which stress that the legacy of slavery persists in racial inequalities and underdevelopment affecting Africans and people of African descent globally. Between 1500 and 1800, an estimated 12–15 million Africans were forcibly taken to the Americas, with more than two million dying en route. Ghana has long been a leading advocate for reparations, and many of its coastal forts, where enslaved Africans were held, still stand as historical reminders.
Opposition to the resolution came from countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, citing legal and practical concerns. The US argued that historical atrocities cannot create a legal right to modern reparations and warned against using historical wrongs to reallocate resources. The UK acknowledged the harm caused by the transatlantic slave trade but raised concerns over the resolution’s wording and potential international law implications.
In addition to reparations, the resolution calls for the return of cultural artefacts taken during the colonial era. Ablakwa emphasized the importance of restoring looted artefacts, which hold heritage, cultural, and spiritual significance for African nations. Ghana’s advocacy highlights the broader push for recognition, justice, and the restitution of African cultural heritage as part of the global reckoning with the legacy of slavery.
