Ghana hosts landmark global event on reparatory justice
A number of dignitaries, including Presidents, Prime Ministers, Speakers of Parliament, government officials, scholars and civil society representatives, from more than 80 countries have converged in Accra for a historic high-level gathering on the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice.
The conference, scheduled for June 17 to 19, 2026, was convened by President John Dramani Mahama and backed by the African Union (AU) and UNESCO to advance global discussions on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and its enduring consequences.
Historic resolution
The three-day event is designed to translate the historic United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250, which recognised the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, into a concrete, actionable global framework for reparations and restitution.
The conference is also hosting 34 ministers responsible for justice and foreign affairs, as well as hundreds of scholars, legal experts and activists.
The gathering takes place three months after the historic adoption of the United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.
On March 25, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution known as the Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity (A/RES/80/250).
The resolution
The resolution was introduced by Ghana, received 123 votes in favour, 52 abstentions and three votes against (Argentina, Israel, and the United States). It declared the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
The declaration brings attention to the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans, as a violation of fundamental human rights.
In doing so, it acknowledged the importance of truth, remembrance, education and historical justice as essential components of reconciliation and sustainable peace, while also recognising that the legacies of slavery are still persistent today.
As part of its call to action, the resolution affirmed the support of reparations as an important way of addressing historic wrongs. It encourages member states to support initiatives aimed at reparatory justice and sustainable development for affected peoples.
Member states
Member states are encouraged to engage in inclusive, good-faith dialogue on reparatory justice, including a full and formal apology, measures of restitution, compensation and rehabilitation to address racism and systemic discrimination.
The resolution marked a significant milestone in international recognition of the scale and lasting effects of the transatlantic slave trade and has intensified calls for concrete measures to address historical injustices.
President John Dramani Mahama, who has positioned Ghana as a leading voice in global reparatory justice efforts, is expected to use the conference to foster greater international cooperation and develop actionable frameworks for advancing reparations and restorative justice initiatives.
Next Steps
The Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice is expected to produce recommendations aimed at strengthening international advocacy, promoting historical accountability and advancing policies designed to address the legacy of slavery and colonial exploitation.
The Accra conference is the first major international gathering dedicated to reparatory justice since the resolution was adopted.
Dignitaries
Among the dignitaries attending the conference are the Presidents of Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Vice Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, the Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, and ministers and senior government officials from across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and other regions.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, addressed the conference virtually.
During the opening of the conference, President Mahama made a pointed call for gender-responsive reparatory justice, stressing that the suffering of enslaved women, whose bodies were transformed into instruments of economic extraction and whose capacity to bear children reproduced bondage across generations, had been systematically erased from the historical record.
“Any framework for truth-telling, memorialisation, reparatory justice or historical reckoning that fails to recognise the specific experience of women will remain incomplete”.
Future generations
“Future generations will judge us not by the resolutions we adopted, but by the progress we achieved. Let them say that in Accra, we chose truth over denial. Let them say that in Accra, we chose partnership over indifference. Let them say that in Accra, we chose justice over delay,” he said.
President Mahama also announced the establishment of three high-powered global panels on reparative justice to drive the post-resolution agenda, as Ghana hosts the Next-Level Consultative Conference on the implementation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250.
That landmark instrument, adopted in March, formally recognises the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution, the first in the UN’s 80-year history dedicated exclusively to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, was adopted on March 25, 2026, by 123 member states.
It declares racialised chattel enslavement a crime against humanity, mandates good-faith dialogue on reparatory justice, and calls for the prompt, unhindered restitution of cultural properties, artefacts, manuscripts and national archives to countries of origin without charge.
Coming 25 years after the Durban Declaration, it marks a fundamental departure from commemorative gestures toward the pursuit of historical truth, reconciliation and systemic justice.
Conclusion
As the global conversation on reparatory justice gathers momentum, Ghana has become the centre of international attention with the hosting of a landmark global event.
The conference comes as the African Union begins its designated Decade of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations, which runs from 2026 to 2036.
The Accra conference moves discussions on reparatory justice beyond declarations and towards practical implementation, including the development of policy frameworks and institutional mechanisms to produce new frameworks and partnerships to advance reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
With Ghana hosting leaders and experts from across the world, the summit is expected to shape the next phase of global discussions on reparatory justice and strengthen cooperation between Africa, the Caribbean and the wider African diaspora.
The resolution, championed by Ghana on behalf of African Union member states, recognised the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel slavery as crimes against humanity.
The UN Resolution marks a turning point after 200 years of petitions by freed Africans to European parliaments that went unheeded.
