Ghana on Thursday hosted a landmark international conference aimed at advancing slavery reparations and transforming growing global support for reparatory justice into concrete commitments for descendants of victims of the transatlantic slave trade.
The three-day conference, taking place in Accra, follows the adoption of a historic United Nations resolution on slavery reparations in March, which recognised the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity” and called for greater efforts towards restorative and reparatory justice.
Speaking at the opening session, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, said the global movement for slavery compensation and reparations had gained unprecedented momentum since the resolution was passed.
According to him, the campaign for justice for millions of Africans affected by slavery and colonial exploitation has moved from advocacy to action.
While the UN resolution is non-binding, it was championed by Ghanaian President John Mahama and calls on nations that participated in the transatlantic slave trade to engage in meaningful dialogue and practical measures aimed at restorative justice.
“We won the battle against slavery, we won the battle against colonialism, we won the battle against apartheid, and we are confident that we shall win the battle against reparatory injustice,” Ablakwa told delegates at the conference.
The minister noted that the resolution secured the support of 123 United Nations member states, representing the strongest international endorsement yet of the demand for slavery reparations and accountability for historical injustices linked to slavery and colonialism.
The growing campaign for reparatory justice has also received support from influential world leaders and institutions.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently backed the symbolic repeal of royal decrees that governed slavery in French colonies. France was historically the third-largest slave-trading nation in Europe after Britain and Portugal.
Similarly, Pope Leo XIV last month apologised for the Catholic Church’s centuries-long delay in condemning slavery, describing it as “a wound in Christian memory.”
Ablakwa said these developments demonstrate that calls for reparations for slavery are increasingly gaining acceptance on the global stage.
“The growing international support for these conversations demonstrates that reparatory justice is no longer a peripheral issue,” he said.
The minister added that Ghana, once a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade, is now positioning itself as a centre for healing, reconciliation and engagement with the African diaspora.
“Ghana is transitioning from being a crime scene to a sanctuary for healing and reparative justice,” Ablakwa stated.
He highlighted Ghana’s efforts to reconnect with people of African descent worldwide, noting that more than 1,000 members of the African diaspora have obtained Ghanaian citizenship in recent years.
The conference has attracted a distinguished line-up of speakers, including leaders from Barbados, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Namibia and Liberia, as well as Nigerian Nobel Laureate and human rights advocate, Wole Soyinka.
Participants are expected to examine pathways for achieving reparatory justice for descendants of enslaved Africans, explore mechanisms for addressing the legacy of slavery and colonialism, and develop practical frameworks for implementing slavery reparations and restorative justice initiatives worldwide.
