The United Nations General Assembly has voted for a resolution declaring the Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution, tabled by Ghana, was adopted after 123 Member States voted in favor, marking a significant shift in the recognition and engagement by the international community on the legacy of slavery.
Three countries, namely the United States, Israel and Argentina voted against the resolution, while 52 countries, including the entire European Union abstained from the votes.
For Ghana, this win is the beginning of healing and reparative justice for victims of the slavery.
“This resolution is a pathway to healing and reparative justice. This resolution is a safeguard against forgetting,” Ghana’s President, John Mahama stated.
Supported by the African Union, the resolution called for reparative justice encompassing formal apology, restitution, compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition.
AU Commission Chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf in a statement noted that the “historic decision marks an important step toward truth, justice and healing and reinforces the urgent need to address the enduring legacy of slavery.
