Keypoints:
- Members moving towards formal multilateral talks
- Reparations may include symbolic as well as financial redress
- Caricom and African Union likely to shape process
THE head of the Commonwealth says member states are beginning to move towards formal negotiations on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, a shift that could mark the most significant multilateral reckoning with Britain’s imperial legacy in modern times.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told Reuters that discussions are not yet fully institutionalised, but there is clear momentum to bring affected governments together — a development that would move the reparations debate from rhetoric to structured diplomacy.
Botchwey, a former foreign minister of Ghana who has long supported redress from Britain, said she is actively backing member countries seeking justice for the historic crime of enslavement.
Speaking on Wednesday, she indicated that preparatory conversations were already under way.
‘My understanding is that there’s some movement in terms of having parties around the table to decide on the way forward, and the different forms of reparations, how to deal with it going forward will be discussed,’ she said.
She added that any process would almost certainly be multilateral rather than bilateral, bringing together regional blocs such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.
What reparations could involve
The Commonwealth — created out of the former British Empire — is one of the world’s largest international organisations, representing around 2.7bn people. Its members include Australia, India, 21 African nations, and Caribbean states such as Barbados and Jamaica.
Many of these governments argue that the economic, social and psychological consequences of slavery continue to shape inequality, debt burdens and development gaps today.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European merchants. Britain transported an estimated 3.2 million people, making it the second most active slaving power after Portugal.
Last year, the African Union made reparations its continental theme and began developing a unified position among its member states.
Meanwhile, CARICOM has advanced a 10-point reparation plan that includes demands for debt forgiveness, formal apologies, educational investment and institutional reform. London has rejected direct financial compensation, but Botchwey signalled that the conversation could still progress.
‘The UK is saying that probably we can’t pay financial reparations,’ she said. ‘Reparations do not have to be only financial. So once the parties sit, they will be able to come to mutual understanding.’
That leaves space for symbolic measures such as official apologies, restitution of cultural artefacts, targeted development funding, and joint historical research programmes.
The monarchy and the Commonwealth
King Charles, who became monarch in 2023 following the death of Queen Elizabeth, remains the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth. He has previously expressed ‘profound regret’ over slavery and has supported academic research into the British monarchy’s historical links to the trade.
His position has been complicated by ongoing controversy surrounding his younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, after new documents suggested he may have shared confidential British trade papers with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace said it would support any police inquiry. Andrew has already been removed from frontline royal duties and stripped of many of his titles.
Despite the turmoil, Botchwey described Charles as a ‘great asset’ to the Commonwealth.
‘What is happening outside the Commonwealth, I may not be able to pronounce on it, but I am very grateful for the work that the King does to ensure the relevance of the Commonwealth and also to add value to the work that we do,’ she said.
Why this moment matters
For decades, reparations demands were largely dismissed by former colonial powers as unrealistic or divisive. What is different now is the growing alignment between African and Caribbean governments, combined with a willingness from the Commonwealth leadership to facilitate dialogue rather than avoid it.
Diplomats warn that progress will be slow and politically sensitive, and that Britain is unlikely to change its stance quickly. Still, Botchwey’s comments suggest the issue is no longer peripheral — it is becoming a formal diplomatic question.
In practical terms, that means slavery reparations are moving from protest marches to negotiation tables.
