Ghana has marked a major diplomatic moment following the adoption of a landmark United Nations resolution declaring the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade a grave crime against humanity, with Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang describing the development as both historic and urgently relevant to the present.
Welcoming President John Dramani Mahama back home after the UN General Assembly vote, the Vice President praised his leadership in steering Ghana’s push for global recognition of one of history’s darkest injustices.
“This moment is historically significant and important for the present,” she said, stressing that the resolution captures “in clear terms the gravity and criminality of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.”
The resolution, adopted on March 25, 2026, secured 123 votes in favour, with three countries voting against and 52 abstaining, reflecting broad international backing despite some divisions.
A clearer global acknowledgment
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the resolution represents more than a symbolic diplomatic achievement, arguing that it helps establish a firmer and more honest international understanding of the transatlantic slave trade and its enduring consequences.
According to her, the measure affirms long-standing calls for historical truth and ensures that the suffering and exploitation of millions of Africans are acknowledged without ambiguity.
She noted that Ghana’s success at the UN was the result of sustained diplomatic effort and strategic engagement aimed at ensuring the global narrative around slavery is neither softened nor distorted.
Ghana’s landscape holds living evidence
Drawing on Ghana’s historical experience, the Vice President pointed to the country’s slave forts and castles as enduring witnesses to the atrocities of the trade.
She referenced dungeons, courtyards, defence walls and the symbolic “door of no return” as physical reminders that continue to shape both Ghana’s national memory and the emotional connection many in the African diaspora have with the country.
“These are not symbols constructed after the facts, but structures that insist on a real and unsettling memory.” - Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang
For her, the UN resolution reinforces what these sites have always represented — not abstract history, but visible and globally recognised evidence of grave injustice.
Foundation for justice and future engagement
While acknowledging that the resolution does not by itself erase the inequalities and trauma rooted in slavery, the Vice President said it provides an important foundation for continued dialogue on justice, heritage and reparative action.
“History must be acknowledged clearly if it is to be taken seriously,” she said. She added that the outcome strengthens Ghana’s role as a moral and diplomatic voice on historical accountability while deepening its ties with the African diaspora.
At home, she called for renewed commitment to preserving Ghana’s historical sites with accuracy and seriousness, saying their significance extends far beyond national borders.
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