Ghana is set to table a historic resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking to declare the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution, scheduled for consideration on March 25, 2026, forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment made during his address to the UN General Assembly last year.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana is leading the initiative in its capacity as the African Union Champion on Reparations, in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other stakeholders of African descent.
The proposed resolution seeks to formally recognise the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity, citing its scale, systemic nature, brutality and enduring global impact.
If adopted, it would become the first comprehensive United Nations resolution on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade in the organisation’s 80-year history.
The government said the move is intended to preserve historical truth, promote justice and reconciliation, and advance global discussions on reparatory justice and accountability.
The resolution will be considered on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, underscoring its symbolic and historical significance.
Ahead of the event, a wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the African Burial Ground in New York, followed by a high-level forum on reparatory justice.
Ghana has called on all UN member states to support the resolution, describing it as a critical step towards addressing historical injustices and their lasting socio-economic consequences.
The initiative aligns with the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036), aimed at advancing justice, healing and development for people of African descent.
