Leaders welcome landmark UN slavery resolution

Leaders in Africa and beyond are warmly welcoming a landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as "the gravest crime against humanity".

Spearheaded by Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, the resolution was adopted last week with 123 votes in favor and 52 abstentions. Three countries — Argentina, Israel and the United States — voted against it.

The initiative aims to secure formal global recognition of the historical injustice, foster healing and advance discussions on reparations for the millions of Africans who were enslaved. It affirms the importance of addressing historical wrongs affecting Africans and people of African descent.

The resolution states that reparations represent a concrete step toward remedying historical injustices against Africans and their descendants.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairman of the African Union Commission, welcomed the adoption and commended Mahama's leadership, saying it reflects Africa's long-standing and principled call for full recognition of the slave trade and its enduring consequences.

"This historic decision marks an important step toward truth, justice and healing, and reinforces the urgent need to address the enduring legacy of slavery," he said.

Youssouf reiterated the AU's call for comprehensive acknowledgment of both the historical and contemporary effects of slavery, including the pursuit of reparative justice, in line with the AU's Agenda 2063 and relevant UN General Assembly decisions.

The AU remains committed to working with the UN and its member states, as well as partners to advance historical justice and ensure such crimes are neither forgotten nor repeated, he said.

Mahama said he was overjoyed by the adoption of the resolution, noting that the journey from idea to reality was made possible by "the solidarity of people of good conscience" around the world.

"I cannot think of a better way to honor our forebears on the day of remembrance than to have the majority of the world's countries affirm that the trafficking and enslavement of nearly 13 million human beings is, indeed, the gravest crime against humanity," he said in a post on X.

Historic step

Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the international community had taken a significant, thoughtful and historic step forward by adopting the resolution.

"With the adoption of this resolution, we have not simply passed a text. We have affirmed a truth, we have chosen remembrance over silence, dignity over erasure, and shared humanity over division," he said.

Ablakwa termed the adoption as an emphatic victory for justice, saying Africans and their ancestors had seen their humanity and dignity acknowledged.

He expressed appreciation to UN member states that supported the resolution while acknowledging the positions taken by the delegations that were unable to do so.

The adoption is not the end of the journey but a major step in a continuing global conversation on reparatory justice, he added.

"We urge every member state to consider carefully the actions it must take to ensure inclusive and good faith dialogue on reparatory justice," he said.

The resolution is not about apportioning blame across generations or nations, nor about reopening old wounds, Ablakwa said, but about creating space for truth, education, and "a more honest global conversation that allows us to move forward together with greater understanding".

The resolution recognizes the complexity of history while acknowledging moments that stand apart, he said.

The Caribbean Community organization also welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying it has consistently advocated for the international community to take decisive action to repair the harmful legacies of African chattel enslavement and trans-Atlantic trafficking.

The bloc pledged to continue working collaboratively toward the implementation of the resolution.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn