Ghana is intensifying its campaign for reparatory justice at the United Nations, positioning itself at the centre of a growing global movement seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
Ahead of a landmark resolution being championed by John Dramani Mahama, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has described the initiative as a pivotal moment in the international quest for justice, truth and historical accountability.
Describing the upcoming resolution as “a moment like no other,” Ablakwa said the world is being challenged to confront a painful legacy whose consequences remain deeply embedded in modern social, political and economic realities.
Beyond Symbolism to Accountability
According to the minister, Ghana’s position is not rooted in symbolic remembrance, but in a demand for meaningful global action. He argued that the suffering caused by slavery cannot simply be left to history.
“For centuries, the trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans have been spoken of in the past tense as though time alone could heal what was never repaired.” - Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Ablakwa stressed that the legacy of slavery continues to manifest through inequality, dispossession and racial injustice. “This is not about sympathy. This is not about ceremony. This is about accountability,” he emphasised.
His comments reinforce Ghana’s broader diplomatic strategy of shifting international discourse from remembrance to redress.
History’s Scars Still Visible
The minister also drew attention to Ghana’s own painful historical connection to the transatlantic slave trade, referencing the infamous dungeons of Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle, where countless Africans were held before being forced through the Door of No Return.
“From the dungeons of Elmina and Cape Coast to the millions who passed through the Door of No Return, to generations still living with the scars of dispossession, injustice and historical erasure.” - Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
He argued that the issue extends far beyond Africa and should be viewed as a universal moral responsibility. “This moment is bigger than Ghana. It is bigger than Africa. It is a test of humanity’s conscience,” Ablakwa added.
Reparatory Justice as a Path to Healing
Central to Ghana’s advocacy is the insistence that reparatory justice is not about vengeance but restoration. Ablakwa framed the call as a moral and political effort to restore dignity and promote healing.
“The call for reparatory justice is not a cry for revenge. It is a demand for truth, dignity, accountability and healing,” he stated.
He also echoed President Mahama’s position that reparations will not be achieved passively.
Quoting the President, he said: “Reparatory justice will not be handed to us. Like political independence, it must be asserted, pursued and secured through determination and unity.”
That message places Ghana’s push within a wider Pan-African and diaspora-led movement seeking structural redress for centuries of exploitation.
Growing Global Backing
Ghana’s campaign has already drawn support from influential international groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Congressional Black Caucus. Ablakwa described their endorsement as a major boost to the effort.
As the UN prepares to deliberate on the resolution, Ghana is presenting the moment as more than a diplomatic exercise.
“Today, remembrance must become resolve. Today, history must meet justice. Today, the world is called to act,” the minister declared.
For Ghana, the resolution represents both a national mission and a global challenge: to confront one of history’s darkest crimes and pursue a more just future through reparatory justice.
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