Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has secured a major diplomatic breakthrough after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark UN Reparations Resolution calling for renewed international commitment to justice over the transatlantic slave trade.
The motion, tabled under Ghana’s leadership on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, was passed with 123 votes in favour, marking a significant step in global efforts to address the long-lasting effects of slavery.
The resolution urges member states to pursue structured dialogue and practical actions to confront the social, economic and cultural damage caused by centuries of exploitation.
Ghana Leads Diplomatic Push for Justice
The resolution was championed by Ghana’s delegation in New York, led by President Mahama, as part of a broader campaign for reparatory justice.
Ghanaian officials described the outcome as a historic victory in the struggle for recognition and redress for African nations and descendants of enslaved people.
They said the adoption of the motion sends a clear moral and political message to former colonial and slave-trading powers, urging them to reckon with the historical foundations of present-day inequalities.
Speaking after the vote, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the result represented a turning point in the global conversation on historical accountability. “Through this resolution, the world has spoken the truth,” he declared.
“We can’t change history, but we can change how it is told going forward,” he added.
Opposition and Abstentions Mark Debate
Despite the overwhelming support, the vote also revealed divisions within the international community. Three countries—the United States, Argentina and Israel—voted against the motion, while 52 member states abstained.
During the plenary session, the United States described the African Union Reparatory Justice Resolution as “highly problematic,” saying it recognised the historical wrongs of slavery but could not support the motion due to uncertainty over who should benefit from reparatory justice.
Growing Global Recognition
The resolution drew strong backing from African countries, Caribbean states and other nations with large populations of African descent.
Caribbean governments, long at the forefront of reparations advocacy, played a key role in rallying support for the measure.
Its passage is now being hailed as a milestone in the international push to confront the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
For Ghana, it represents both a diplomatic success and a broader moral statement that justice, remembrance and reparative action can no longer be postponed.
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