Ghana pushes for reparations following UN report on transatlantic enslavement

Ghana has welcomed a report from the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which asserts that states are obligated to provide reparatory justice for the transatlantic enslavement of Africans. The Committee stated that the argument that these crimes were lawful at the time they were committed is no longer valid, describing the finding as a paradigm shift in international law.

Ghana, led by President John Dramani Mahama, who serves as the African Union Champion for Reparations, is transitioning its campaign from seeking historical recognition to demanding concrete action. This includes apology, restitution, compensation, and guarantees of non-repetition. The initiative follows a UN General Assembly resolution that declared the trafficking and enslavement of Africans the “gravest crime against humanity.”

To advance this agenda, President Mahama plans to host a high-level side event on restitution during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month. Ghana intends to continue its efforts alongside the African Union, CARICOM, and the African diaspora to secure justice for people of African descent.