In brief
In Accra, Ghana, a three‑day conference concluded with African and Caribbean countries demanding a formal apology and reparations from nations that profited from the trans‑Atlantic slave trade. The demands followed a United Nations resolution in March that described the slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and urged the creation of a reparations fund. A 19‑point plan was adopted calling for debt relief, restitution of looted cultural property, and the establishment of a global fund, while leaders urged former slave‑trade states to offer unconditional apologies. Some major powers, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Argentina, opposed the UN vote, arguing that historical wrongs cannot be legally remedied today. The move highlights the ongoing debate over how to address centuries of injustice and its lasting economic and cultural impact.
During a three‑day conference held in Accra, Ghana, African and Caribbean leaders called for a formal apology and reparations from countries that benefited from the trans‑Atlantic slave trade. The demands followed a landmark United Nations resolution in March that labelled the slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity” and urged the creation of a reparations fund.
A 19‑point plan was adopted at the conference, calling for comprehensive debt relief, restitution of looted cultural property, and the establishment of a global reparations fund, though a specific monetary amount was not set. The plan also addressed the disproportionate impact of slavery on African women and girls.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama urged delegates: “History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility”. French President Emmanuel Macron recognised that enslaved people were “dehumanised and treated as goods”, but warned that reparations should not be seen merely as a financial cheque.
The United Nations General Assembly vote in March received 123 votes in favour, with the United States, Israel and Argentina voting against declaring the trans‑Atlantic slave trade a crime against humanity. While the UK, EU member states and others abstained, the United Kingdom has long rejected calls to pay reparations, arguing that contemporary institutions cannot be held responsible for historical wrongs. The United States similarly stated that it did not recognise a legal right to reparations for historical injustices that were not illegal under international law at the time.
No country has ever paid reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans or to affected African, Caribbean and Latin American nations; most payments historically went to slave owners. In the 1830s, following the UK’s abolition of slavery, the country paid owners the equivalent of more than £16 billion in today’s money. These facts underscore the enduring debate over how best to address centuries of exploitation and its lasting economic and cultural impact.
