Ghana is pushing for UN to declare slave trade a crime against humanity for the first time ever

Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that President John Dramani Mahama will present a landmark resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking to officially recognise the Transatlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime against humanity.

The resolution is scheduled to be tabled on March 25, 2026, in observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

According to the Ministry, Ghana is spearheading the initiative in its capacity as the African Union’s champion on reparations, working in close partnership with the Caribbean Community and other international stakeholders.

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The proposed resolution aims to formally acknowledge the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as one of the most significant atrocities in human history, highlighting its scale, brutality, and far-reaching global consequences.

Officials note that, if adopted, the measure would represent the first comprehensive United Nations resolution dedicated to slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It is expected to reinforce historical truth while advancing global dialogue on reparatory justice, accountability, and healing.

The ministry further emphasised that such recognition would contribute to addressing long-standing structural inequalities, including disparities in global development, debt burdens, and climate vulnerability, which are linked to the enduring legacy of slavery.

Ahead of the presentation, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place on March 24 at the African Burial Ground in New York, followed by a high-level forum on reparatory justice at the UN Conference Room.

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Ghana has also called on all UN member states to support the resolution, urging them to align with what it described as the “right side of history and justice".

The ministry expressed appreciation to international partners, including the African Union, UNESCO, and CARICOM, as well as experts and institutions that contributed to the drafting of the proposal.

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