Key facts
- African and Caribbean nations demand formal apology and reparations for transatlantic slavery.
- Demands follow a UN resolution calling slavery the 'gravest crime against humanity'.
- A 19-point reparations plan includes debt relief and restitution of cultural property.
- Leaders called for unconditional apologies from former slave-trading countries.
- French President Macron acknowledged past wrongs but cautioned against solely financial reparations.
- The UN resolution was non-binding; the US, Israel, and Argentina voted against it.
African and Caribbean nations have formally demanded a comprehensive apology and reparations from countries that profited from the transatlantic slave trade. The call came at the conclusion of a three-day conference in Accra, Ghana, aimed at advancing the agenda for reparatory justice.
This push follows a significant United Nations resolution in March that characterized the transatlantic slave trade as the "gravest crime against humanity" and urged member states to contribute to a reparations fund. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12 to 15 million African men, women, and children were forcibly transported to the Americas for enslavement.
The conference endorsed a 19-point reparations plan, dubbed the "Next Steps," which advocates for substantial debt relief, the return of looted cultural artifacts, and the creation of a global reparations fund. The plan also specifically addresses the disproportionate impact of slavery on African women and girls. Conference leaders explicitly requested "full, formal and unconditional apologies" from nations involved in the slave trade.
Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama addressed delegates, stating, "History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility." French President Emmanuel Macron, in a virtual address, acknowledged that enslaved individuals were "dehumanised and treated as goods." However, he advised against viewing reparations solely as financial compensation, suggesting they should not be seen as a definitive closure.
The UN General Assembly's resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, while the United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against it. Fifty-two countries, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states, abstained. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.
The UK has consistently rejected calls for reparations, with its UN ambassador, James Kariuki, stating that current institutions should not be held accountable for historical injustices. The US ambassador echoed this sentiment, questioning the legal basis and clarity regarding the recipients of 'reparatory justice.' Historically, no country has paid reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans or the affected nations. Notably, in the 19th century, following the abolition of slavery, the UK paid slave owners compensation equivalent to over $21 billion in today's currency, rather than to the enslaved.