UN adopts resolution on slave trade, calling for reparatory justice amid opposition from some nations.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, with 123 countries voting in favor. The resolution was championed by Ghana and supported by the African Union and Caribbean nations.
Vote Details and Opposition
The United States, Israel, and Argentina were the only countries to vote against the resolution, while 52 nations, including the United Kingdom and all 27 European Union members, abstained. Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that the resolution addresses ongoing consequences of slavery, such as racial disparities.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, speaking for the African Union, emphasized the need for healing and reparative justice, saying, 'The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting.'
The resolution, titled 'Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity,' unequivocally condemns the transatlantic slave trade as the most inhumane injustice. It calls on UN member states to engage in discussions on reparatory justice, including formal apologies, restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, and measures to combat racism and systemic discrimination.
At least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and trafficked to the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries, with only 10.7 million surviving the horrific conditions. Some nations opposed the resolution, arguing that current states should not be held responsible for historical wrongs and that it might create a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.
The deputy US ambassador to the UN, Dan Negrea, stated that the US does not recognize a legal right to reparations for actions not illegal under international law at the time. The EU representative, Gabriella Michaelidou, raised concerns about retroactively applying international law. The Netherlands is the only European country to have issued a formal apology for its role in slavery.
Ghana's Foreign Minister Ablakwa urged perpetrators, including European nations and the US, to formally apologize and return looted artifacts as part of restorative justice. This resolution highlights ongoing efforts to address the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade through international dialogue.
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