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A landmark vote at the United Nations has reignited global debate over historical justice.
The move, while symbolic, signals a shift in international sentiment on one of history’s darkest chapters.
And it can possibly pave the way for the payment of reparations.
The “gravest crime against humanity”
In a March 25 statement, the UN reports that The UN General Assembly has formally recognised the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity” following a resolution introduced by Ghana.
The measure passed with 123 votes in favour, while the United States, Israel and Argentina opposed it.
Fifty-two countries, including the UK and EU members, abstained.
Political weight
Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry political weight and reflect global opinion.
The proposal also urges nations to consider issuing apologies and contributing to a reparations fund, though no specific financial commitments were outlined.
According to the report from the UN, Ghana’s President John Mahama addressed the chamber ahead of the vote, saying:
“Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of the slave trade and those who continue to suffer racial discrimination.”
He added: “The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting. It also challenges the enduring scars of slavery.”
Divided response
Some countries raised legal and political concerns.
According to the BBC, the UK acknowledged the historical harm caused but argued the wording of the resolution posed challenges under international law.
Its UN ambassador, James Kariuki, said: “No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant than another.”
The US also rejected the idea of legal reparations. Ambassador Dan Negrea stated his country “does not recognise a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred”, according to the BBC.
He further criticised what he described as the “cynical usage of historical wrongs as a leverage point”.
The resolution also calls for the return of cultural artefacts taken during colonial rule.
366 years, 12.5 million people
According to Slavery And Remembrance, the Transatlantic slave trade lasted for 366 years, during which roughly 12.5 milion Africans were put on slave ships and transported across the Atlantic.
Of the 12.5 million men, women and children taken from Africa, approximatly 11 million made it across the Atlantic alive and was then forced into slavery in America.
According to Slavery And Remembrance, the trade was initiated by the Portuguese and Spanish, but during the centuries of slave trade, British slavers alone transported 3.5 million Africans to America.
Sources: BBC, United Nations, Slavery And Remembrance
