Key points:
- Africa and Caribbean coordinate UN reparations strategy
- Ghana announces plan at AU summit press briefing
- Resolution seeks global recognition of slavery crimes
AFRICA and Caribbean nations are aligning diplomatic efforts at the United Nations behind a historic push to secure global recognition of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crimes against humanity, Ghana’s President John Mahama said during a press briefing at the African Union (AU) Summit on Sunday.
Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the summit, Mahama announced that African states and members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are coordinating closely ahead of plans to formally table a resolution before the UN General Assembly in March 2026.
The coordinated approach signals growing cooperation between Africa and its diaspora in pursuing reparatory justice, transforming what was once largely an advocacy issue into a structured diplomatic initiative spanning both sides of the Atlantic.
AU mandate strengthens diplomatic momentum
The initiative gained decisive backing after the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted a consensus decision endorsing Ghana’s leadership of the process. The mandate stems from AU Decision 884, which declared 2025 the ‘Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations’ and elevated reparations for slavery, colonialism and apartheid as a flagship continental priority.
Mahama, serving as AU Champion for Reparations, described the assignment as both symbolic and practical.
‘This is not merely a title; it is a solemn obligation to pursue truth, recognition, and justice for our ancestors and for generations yet unborn,’ he said.
He stressed that the campaign is grounded in international law rather than political confrontation.
‘The initiative is not directed at any nation. It is directed towards truth, recognition and reconciliation,’ Mahama told reporters.
According to the president, the resolution builds on established legal principles recognising slavery as a prohibited peremptory norm — a jus cogens rule from which no derogation is permitted.
Building consensus across global blocs
Diplomatic engagements will intensify in New York beginning February 20, 2026, as Ghana consults with CARICOM, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and China, the European Union and other regional groupings to build broad international support.
Informal consultations on the draft resolution are expected to take place between late February and mid-March.
The proposal is scheduled to be formally tabled on March 25, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade — timing officials say deliberately connects historical memory with political action.
Ghana has also engaged UNESCO, legal scholars, the Pan-African Lawyers Union and AU expert committees to refine the legal and diplomatic framing of the text.
Recognition before compensation
Responding to questions from journalists at the briefing, Mahama emphasised that the initiative is not currently focused on monetary compensation but on global acknowledgement of historical injustice.
‘The first step towards healing is truth,’ he said, explaining that reparations extend beyond financial payments to include correcting historical records, returning stolen cultural artefacts and confronting enduring inequalities rooted in slavery.
An estimated 12 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic during the slave trade, with roughly two million dying during the Middle Passage — figures Mahama cited as evidence of what he called the gravest injustice in human history.
‘Recognition is not about division. It is about moral courage,’ he added.
A wider geopolitical shift
The reparations initiative also reflects changing global dynamics, the Ghanaian leader argued, warning that Africa must assert greater agency as development assistance declines and countries increasingly prioritise national interests.
‘Africa cannot sit just as a quiet victim with cup in hand begging these nations to change their minds,’ Mahama said, urging greater continental self-reliance.
He linked the effort to broader continental strategies such as the ‘Accra Reset’, which promotes health sovereignty, economic transformation and value addition to Africa’s critical minerals to create employment opportunities and reduce migration pressures.
Mahama said interest in these ideas is growing across the Global South, suggesting Africa intends to play a more assertive role in shaping a changing international order.
What adoption could mean
If adopted, the UN resolution would not immediately impose legal obligations or financial reparations. Instead, it would establish formal international recognition of slavery’s enduring consequences — a symbolic and legal milestone supporters believe could pave the way for future negotiations on reparatory justice.
Ghana plans continued engagement with the UN Secretary-General, AU institutions and member states following any adoption, framing the process as the beginning of sustained dialogue rather than a final outcome.
‘While the past cannot be undone, it can be acknowledged — and acknowledgement is the first step towards justice,’ Mahama said.
