African and Caribbean nations have issued a united demand for reparations from countries that profited from the transatlantic slave trade, including the United Kingdom. The call to action emerged at a landmark three-day conference in Ghana, where leaders from 50 countries gathered to discuss the legacy of slavery and the need for redress.
The momentum behind this push for reparatory justice has been gathering pace since March's UN General Assembly resolution, which classified transatlantic slavery as "the gravest crime against humanity". While the UK and other European Union nations abstained from the vote, 123 countries supported the measure, urging member states to contribute to a reparations fund. This non-binding resolution marks a significant shift in international opinion on the issue.
A 19-point reparations plan, endorsed at the Ghanaian conference, calls for "full, formal and unconditional apologies" from nations formerly involved in the slave trade. Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama drove home the importance of taking responsibility for historical injustices, saying, "History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility." Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the dehumanisation of enslaved people, while cautioning against reducing reparations solely to financial compensation.
The UK has historically resisted calls for reparations, arguing that contemporary institutions cannot be held accountable for historical wrongs. This stance aligns with that of the US, which has expressed reservations about the legal basis for reparations for historical events that were not illegal under international law at the time.
It is striking that while no country has ever paid reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans or affected nations, the UK did compensate slave owners following the abolition of slavery. In the 1830s, an amount equivalent to over £16 billion in today's money was paid to former slave owners, rather than to those who had been enslaved.
The current demands highlight a growing international movement for accountability and redress for the enduring legacies of transatlantic slavery – including the economic and social disparities it created.
Source: UN General Assembly, Ghana Government, UK Government