Ghana to Table Historic UN Resolution on Transatlantic Slave Trade

Ghana is set to table a landmark resolution at the United Nations General Assembly declaring the transatlantic slave trade and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

 

The resolution is scheduled for consideration and possible adoption on March 25, 2026, a date globally observed as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

 

In a statement issued by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the move aligns with a pledge made by President John Mahama during his address at the UN General Assembly last year.

 

According to the ministry, Ghana is spearheading the initiative in its capacity as the African Union champion on reparations, working in collaboration with the African Union, the Caribbean Community, and people of African descent globally.

 

The proposed resolution seeks to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, citing its scale, duration, systemic brutality, and enduring global consequences.

 

The ministry noted that if adopted, it would mark the first comprehensive UN resolution on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade in the organisation’s 80-year history.

 

It added that the move aims to preserve historical truth, advance justice and reconciliation, and strengthen calls for reparatory justice, accountability, and healing.

 

March 25 was selected for the tabling in recognition of its global significance in honouring victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

 

Ahead of the event, activities will include a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground in New York on March 24, 2026, as well as a high-level meeting on reparatory justice at UN headquarters.

 

Ghana also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing reparatory justice under the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036), urging UN member states to support the resolution and stand on what it described as “the right side of history and justice.”