Ghana, backed by the African Union, is intensifying diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to rally global support for a resolution that would, for the first time, formally declare the Transatlantic Slave Trade the gravest crime against humanity.
This move is aimed at pushing reparations, accountability, and a long-delayed global reckoning to the forefront of international policy.
The initiative is set to reach a defining moment on March 25, 2026, when President John Mahama is expected to table the resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, in line with a pledge he made during his previous address to the global body.
Ghana is advancing the proposal in its capacity as the African Union’s Champion on Reparations.
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According to Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the draft resolution, developed in collaboration with the African Union and the Caribbean Community and Common Market, seeks to formally recognise the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the most severe crime against humanity in recorded history.
The Ministry said that the declaration is anchored on the scale, duration, systemic brutality, and enduring consequences of the transatlantic slave trade, which continue to shape global socio-economic inequalities and structural imbalances.
“If adopted, it would mark the first comprehensive UN resolution on slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the organisation’s nearly 80-year history.
“The resolution is deliberately timed to coincide with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, underscoring both its symbolic and historical weight”, the Ministry noted.
Ghana says the effort is intended to catalyse deeper global engagement on reparatory justice, accountability, and reconciliation.
Officials argue that formal recognition would lay the groundwork for addressing persistent inequalities linked to slavery’s legacy, including development gaps, climate vulnerability, and debt imbalances.
Following the anticipated adoption, Ghana plans to intensify multilateral advocacy for reparations within the framework of the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036).
The initiative has already drawn backing from a coalition, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, alongside global academics, legal experts, and civil society groups.
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“Ahead of the resolution’s tabling, a series of high-level events will take place in New York. On March 24, a wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled at the African Burial Ground National Monument, followed by a high-level UN forum on reparatory justice later the same day.
“The events are expected to draw diplomats, scholars, and activists from across Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora”, the Ministry stated.
Ghana has urged all UN member states to back the resolution, calling on the international community to “stand on the right side of history and justice.”
Samuel Ablakwa, Foreign Affairs Minister alongside other senior officials, will lead final diplomatic engagements ahead of the vote.
