Accra will become the centre of global discussions on historical redress today as the Next Step Summit on Reparatory Justice takes off.
The three-day high-level conference convened under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama in his role as African Union (AU) Champion on Reparatory Justice is to move global consensus on reparations from declaration to actionable frameworks.
It follows the UN General Assembly’s March 25 adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250 as a landmark declaration designating the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the "gravest crime against humanity".
The summit would see the participation of several heads of state and prominent figures from across Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.
Among these top officials expected to speak at the summit are the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to deliver a virtual keynote address; the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye; the President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, and the President of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Others include the President of The Gambia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah; the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley; the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and a Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Also, the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Reparations Commission Chair, Professor Hilary Beckles, Senator Bernie Sanders, members of the US Congressional Black Caucus, Rev. Al Sharpton and Marcus Garvey Jr, will be in attendance.
In addition, more than 80 countries, 34 ministers of justice and foreign affairs, six international organisations, and hundreds of scholars, legal experts, and civil society leaders are expected in the capital for the summit.
Recognition to implementation
Addressing the press in Accra last Monday evening, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the summit would mark a shift “from recognition to implementation, from declaration to frameworks, from aspirations to concrete action”.
He said the world was witnessing a defining moment in the global issue of justice, dignity and historical accountability.
Mr Ablakwa affirmed that the conference would produce a substantive report for the UN Secretary-General’s implementation review at the 82nd UNGA and would establish three new global mechanisms: “an advisory panel for reparatory justice, an expert panel on cultural artefact restitution, and a legal panel for reparatory justice”.
Programmes
On the details of the meeting, the Foreign Minister said the first day would convene senior officials and technical experts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to draft a post-adoption framework.
The second day would be for Heads of State segment with six thematic panels covering transcontinental cooperation, legal strategies, economics of restitution, and civil society partnerships.
The summit concludes on June 19 at the Kempinski Hotel with the adoption of the conference outcome document, followed by a commemorative ceremony at Osu Christiansborg Castle.
The day coincides with Juneteenth, and Ghana will host the first commemoration outside the US with a traditional durbar at the Castle’s “Door of No Return”.
France’s participation
Addressing controversy over France’s involvement, Mr Ablakwa confirmed a delegation of more than 10 senior French officials.
While France abstained on the UN vote, Mr Ablakwa cited recent steps, including France’s May 28 repeal of the 1685 “Code Noir”, and pledges to establish a scientific commission on slavery with Ghana and the return of looted artefacts.
“The position of Ghana is that we welcome all nations making an honest effort towards reparatory justice.
The only way to make progress on this reparation agenda is to have open, inclusive and good faith dialogue with all stakeholders,” Mr Ablakwa stated.
