The UK's decision to abstain from a landmark UN declaration condemning the transatlantic slave trade as a Crime Against Humanity has sparked intense debate and scrutiny. While the government concedes that slavery was a 'profound harm' inflicted upon enslaved Africans, it has expressed serious reservations about certain provisions in the resolution. At the heart of these concerns lies a fundamental disagreement over how to approach historical injustices.
Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, outlined the government's position, highlighting its fear that labelling the transatlantic slave trade as the 'gravest' Crime Against Humanity risks creating a 'hierarchy of historical atrocities'. This, it is argued, would diminish the experiences and suffering of other communities and undermine efforts to address contemporary injustices. Instead, the UK advocates for a consistent approach, treating all forms of historical trauma with equal seriousness and empathy.
The government has also raised significant legal objections to the resolution, centred on the principles of intertemporality and non-retroactivity in international law. These long-standing tenets dictate that only acts committed under existing laws at the time can be subject to punishment or reparation. The UK maintains that historical injustices, such as the transatlantic slave trade, cannot be retrospectively classified as crimes against humanity, as they did not violate international law as it stood then.
Despite these reservations, the UK has reaffirmed its commitment to acknowledging and discussing the painful elements of shared history. The government has actively engaged with the resolution's negotiations, offering alternative language to shift the focus from legal to political discourse. However, these efforts ultimately failed to secure a consensus-based text, leading to the decision to abstain from the vote.
The UK's stance reflects a delicate balance between addressing historical injustices and upholding established principles of international law. This approach is in line with the government's continued engagement with complex issues, as seen in its participation in the High-Level Consultative Conference on Reparations in Accra in June 2026.