The government has announced that Ghana will host an international high-level conference in Accra in June 2026 as part of renewed global engagement on historical justice, remembrance, and the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Government Communications Spokesperson and Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, which welcomed a recent apology by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the Holy See’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
The Pope, in his encyclical, described slavery as “a wound in Christian memory” and issued an apology on behalf of the Church for its complicity in the transatlantic slave trade and related systems of oppression.
Following the Pope’s apology, the government said Ghana remains committed to working with international partners, faith communities, civil society, and people of conscience to advance efforts toward historical justice, remembrance, and the restoration of human dignity.
In its statement, government said: “Ghana remains committed to working with international partners, faith communities, civil society, and people of conscience around the world to advance efforts aimed at historical justice, remembrance, and the restoration of human dignity. In this regard, Ghana looks forward to welcoming the international community to Accra from 17th to 19th June 2026 for the High-Level Consultative Conference being convened by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, on the next steps following the adoption of the Resolution, aimed at sustaining global engagement on historical justice, remembrance, and human dignity.”
The conference, according to the statement, will focus on “the next steps following the adoption of the Resolution, aimed at sustaining global engagement on historical justice, remembrance and human dignity.”
It added that the Pope’s statement “represents an act of moral courage and an important contribution to the ongoing global pursuit of historical truth, human dignity and justice.”
The government said the apology comes at a critical moment of global reflection on slavery and colonialism, stressing that confronting historical injustices requires truth-telling and moral responsibility.
“Honest recognition of this painful history remains an essential step toward healing, reconciliation, and a more just future,” the statement noted.
President John Dramani Mahama was also cited in the statement as viewing the development as significant in ongoing international discussions on historical accountability.
At the last United Nations General Assembly, President John Dramani Mahama presented a motion to declare the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity,” describing it as a landmark in global efforts to preserve historical memory and promote justice.
Ghana also expressed hope that countries that did not support the resolution would eventually align with its objectives and participate in its implementation.
President Mahama, according to the statement, expressed appreciation to Pope Leo XIV for his apology and said he looks forward to continued global engagement on truth, healing, and reconciliation.
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