Key facts
- Ghana is hosting a three-day conference in Accra focused on advancing reparatory justice.
- The event follows a UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
- Over 80 countries are participating, including heads of state, ministers, and experts.
- Key objectives include formulating a global framework for reparatory justice and establishing restitution panels.
- Recent developments include French President Macron calling for 'reparations' and a papal apology for the Vatican's role in slavery.
Ghana is hosting a significant international conference in its capital, Accra, aimed at advancing the cause of reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade. This three-day event, titled 'Next Steps,' marks the first major global gathering on the issue since the United Nations adopted a landmark resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
The conference brings together heads of state, ministers, civil society representatives, historians, researchers, and legal experts from over 80 countries. A key event is scheduled for June 19 at Osu Castle, a historic fortress used during the slave trade, to commemorate Juneteenth, the end of slavery in the US.
Participants are focused on five core objectives, including developing a global framework to implement the UN resolution and establishing panels dedicated to reparatory justice and restitution. Organizers aim to transform the political momentum generated by the UN vote into concrete, institutional commitments.
The UN resolution, proposed by Ghana on behalf of AU member states, passed with 123 votes in favor, three against (US, Israel, Argentina), and 52 abstentions (including the UK and EU member states). This resolution acknowledges the ongoing legacies of enslavement and calls for dialogue and restitution of cultural properties.
Recent developments indicate a growing global discourse on the issue. French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly called for France to address its historical role in slavery, using the term 'reparations.' Additionally, Pope Leo XIV has issued an apology for the Vatican's historical involvement in legitimizing slavery.
Organizers and participants, including representatives from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Congressional Black Caucus, view the conference as a crucial opportunity to broaden the reparations movement and ensure practical meaning is given to the UN resolution.