Ghana to lead historic UN resolution declaring Transatlantic Slave Trade as gravest crime against humanity

Ghana is set to make history at the United Nations next week with the tabling of a resolution that would formally recognize the Transatlantic Slave Trade and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. The resolution, spearheaded by President John Mahama, is scheduled for consideration and adoption at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The initiative, consistent with President Mahama’s pledge at last year’s UN General Assembly, is being pursued in Ghana’s capacity as the African Union’s Champion on Reparations, in collaboration with the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and all people of African descent.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the draft resolution highlights the scale, systemic brutality, and enduring consequences of the trafficking of enslaved Africans, emphasizing its lasting impact on global socio-economic inequalities, structural disparities, and development gaps. Its adoption would mark the first comprehensive UN resolution on slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the organization’s 80-year history.

The resolution coincides with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Ahead of its tabling, Ghana will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground in New York on March 24 at 8:00 am, followed by a High-Level Event on Reparatory Justice at the UN Conference Room 3 at 10:00 am.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to a broad coalition of technical experts, academics, reparations activists, and international partners who contributed to drafting the historic resolution. Officials available for interviews include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, and Ghana’s Special Envoy for Reparations, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.

The Ministry urged all UN member states to support the resolution, describing it as a pivotal step toward justice, historical truth, and global reconciliation.