The United Nations General Assembly has today (March 25, 2026) officially recognised the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” in a landmark resolution proposed by Ghana and backed by 123 member states. 

The move, aimed at promoting healing and reparative justice, urges countries to consider formal apologies and contribute to a reparations framework, though it does not specify financial amounts.

The resolution, adopted despite opposition from the United States, Israel and Argentina, and abstentions from 52 countries including the United Kingdom and members of the European Union, represents a significant step in the international acknowledgment of historical injustices inflicted on Africa. Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, said the resolution underscores the need for accountability for centuries of enslavement and colonisation.

Speaking on behalf of the African Union at the UN General Assembly in New York, President John Dramani Mahama called for global support, framing the resolution as a moral imperative. “Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery. Let our vote on this resolution restore their dignity and humanity,” he said.

The draft resolution, titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity,” also advocates for the return of cultural artefacts, reforms to global systems to ensure equitable opportunities, and protections for Africans and the diaspora. President Mahama emphasised that neutrality on such moral issues serves injustice, quoting Theodore Roosevelt: “With a great moral issue involved, neutrality does not serve righteousness; for to be neutral between right and wrong is to serve wrong.”

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the resolution but called for “far bolder action” from member states to confront the lingering structures of racial inequality and white supremacy that continue to affect people of African descent. He urged the dismantling of false narratives in media, education, and politics and stressed that leaders must use power constructively to address systemic racism and promote inclusive development.

The resolution is part of broader efforts by African and Caribbean nations to seek accountability for historical injustices, including proposals for a dedicated UN reparations tribunal. Ablakwa said the initiative could pave the way for a “reparative framework” that addresses not only historical wrongs but their ongoing consequences in economic and social disparities.

President Mahama underscored the importance of remembering the victims of the slave trade, estimated at over 12.5 million people, and using their memory as a basis for collective healing. “Through these activities, we do more than remember. We document and educate; we gain a greater perspective; we find the delicate balance of learning from history so we do not repeat it, while leaving the pain behind. In doing so, we begin to heal, individually, within our immediate communities, and within the global community,” he said.