UN resolution urges reparations for slavery’s ‘historical wrongs’
UN News • • nation
Key Points:
- A UN resolution led by Ghana, supported by 123 countries, recognized the transatlantic slave trade as a grave crime against humanity and called for justice and reparations for Africans and the diaspora, while three countries including the US voted against it.
- The resolution highlighted the historical exploitation and enduring consequences of slavery, emphasizing the need to address past wrongs through reparative justice, human rights, and dignity.
- US representatives opposed the resolution, stating the UN's purpose is maintaining peace and security, not advancing specific agendas, and rejecting reparations for historical acts not illegal under international law at the time.
- UN leaders and the African Group stressed the importance of removing systemic barriers, respecting African countries' resource ownership, and ensuring their equal participation in global governance to combat racism and inequality.
- Barbados’ Poet Laureate Esther Philips underscored the moral imperative for reparatory justice, warning that peace cannot be achieved without turning commitments into concrete actions.
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