The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday formally recognizing the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement as the “gravest crime against humanity.” Ghana’s proposed resolution was approved by the UN General Assembly, receiving 123 votes in favor, three opposing votes from Argentina, Israel, and the United States, and 52 abstentions, including the United Kingdom and members of the European Union.
The measure calls on UN member states to engage in reparatory justice, including formal apologies, restitution of looted cultural artifacts, financial compensation, rehabilitation programs, and changes to laws and services to address systemic racism. It also urges the prompt return of artworks, documents, and national archives taken during the colonial era.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama called the resolution “a safeguard against forgetting,” stressing the lasting effects of slavery. “The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting,” he remarked, noting that generations still experience exclusion and economic disparities stemming from the transatlantic slave trade.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa emphasized that the country is seeking justice for the victims rather than personal gain, calling for educational and skills-training initiatives to support affected communities. “Many generations continue to suffer the exclusion, the racism because of the transatlantic slave trade,” he noted.
The resolution received prominent endorsements from civil society organizations in the United States. Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, affirmed the importance of the measure as a step toward acknowledging historical harms and investing in communities affected by slavery. The Congressional Black Caucus also expressed full support, describing the resolution as a call for accountability, global solidarity, and the promotion of human dignity.
The vote marks a historic moment at the UN, recognized by Ghana as a crucial step in advancing reparatory justice and confronting the legacy of slavery. Ablakwa called it “a resolution like no other; a moment like no other,” emphasizing the moral responsibility of the international community to act.
