How all the 178 countries voted on Ghana’s UN slavery resolution

Maxwell Nyagamago 08:16 - 26 March 2026

Pres. Mahama urges UN to ‘reset’, demands permanent African seat on Security Council

UN member states voted on Ghana’s historic slavery reparations resolution, with 123 in favour, three against and 52 abstaining, highlighting global divisions on reparatory justice.

The United Nations General Assembly has made a historic move by adopting a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.

The resolution, tabled by Ghana on behalf of the African continent and people of African descent, passed with 123 votes in favour, 52 abstentions, and only three countries voting against: the United States, Israel, and Argentina.

The landmark decision represents one of the most significant global acknowledgements of the enduring impact of slavery and colonialism. The resolution formally recognises the brutality and scale of chattel enslavement and calls for discussions around reparations, including apologies, compensation, and systemic reforms.

It also urges the prompt and unhindered restitution of looted cultural artefacts, a key demand by Ghana in its efforts to restore dignity and historical justice.

ALSO READ: Amnesty International praises Ghana’s UN slavery resolution as ‘momentous step’ towards justice

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has consistently maintained that the initiative is about justice and historical redress, rather than personal or national gain, emphasising support for education, development funds, and long-term mechanisms to address the lasting harms of slavery.

The resolution reflects a broader movement across Africa and the Caribbean, where leaders argue that the legacy of slavery continues to shape inequality, underdevelopment, and systemic injustice.

ALSO READ: U.S., Israel and Argentina stand alone as only countries to vote against Ghana's historic UN slavery resolution

While the overwhelming majority of the assembly supported the resolution, the voting patterns highlighted divisions among global powers. The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against the resolution, citing concerns over legal implications and historical accountability. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and all 27 members of the European Union abstained from voting, signalling caution on issues of reparatory justice.

The outcome places the issue of reparations and historical recognition firmly on the international agenda, creating renewed pressure on former colonial powers to engage meaningfully with the legacy of slavery. The following table provides a full breakdown of the voting by country, illustrating the global consensus and the nations that chose to abstain or vote against the historic resolution.

ALSO READ: Ghana makes Africa proud as the UN names slavery the gravest crime in history

How all the 178 countries voted

#	Country	Vote
1	Afghanistan	In Favour
2	Albania	Abstained
3	Algeria	In Favour
4	Andorra	Abstained
5	Angola	In Favour
6	Antigua and Barbuda	In Favour
7	Argentina	Against
8	Armenia	Abstained
9	Australia	Abstained
10	Austria	Abstained
11	Azerbaijan	In Favour
12	Bahamas	In Favour
13	Bahrain	In Favour
14	Bangladesh	In Favour
15	Barbados	In Favour
16	Belarus	In Favour
17	Belgium	Abstained
18	Belize	In Favour
19	Benin	In Favour
20	Bhutan	In Favour
21	Bolivia	In Favour
22	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Abstained
23	Botswana	In Favour
24	Brazil	In Favour
25	Brunei Darussalam	In Favour
26	Bulgaria	Abstained
27	Burkina Faso	In Favour
28	Burundi	In Favour
29	Cabo Verde	In Favour
30	Cambodia	Abstained
31	Cameroon	In Favour
32	Canada	Abstained
33	Central African Republic	In Favour
34	Chad	In Favour
35	Chile	Abstained
36	China	In Favour
37	Colombia	In Favour
38	Comoros	In Favour
39	Congo	In Favour
40	Costa Rica	In Favour
41	Côte d'Ivoire	In Favour
42	Croatia	Abstained
43	Cuba	In Favour
44	Cyprus	Abstained
45	Czechia	Abstained
46	Democratic People’s Republic of Korea	In Favour
47	Democratic Republic of Congo	In Favour
48	Denmark	Abstained
49	Djibouti	In Favour
50	Dominican Republic	In Favour
51	Ecuador	In Favour
52	Egypt	In Favour
53	El Salvador	In Favour
54	Equatorial Guinea	In Favour
55	Eritrea	In Favour
56	Estonia	Abstained
57	Eswatini	In Favour
58	Ethiopia	In Favour
59	Fiji	In Favour
60	Finland	Abstained
61	France	Abstained
62	Gabon	In Favour
63	Gambia	In Favour
64	Georgia	Abstained
65	Germany	Abstained
66	Ghana	In Favour
67	Greece	Abstained
68	Grenada	In Favour
69	Guatemala	In Favour
70	Guinea	In Favour
71	Guinea-Bissau	In Favour
72	Guyana	In Favour
73	Haiti	In Favour
74	Honduras	In Favour
75	Hungary	Abstained
76	Iceland	Abstained
77	India	In Favour
78	Indonesia	In Favour
79	Iran (Islamic Republic)	In Favour
80	Iraq	In Favour
81	Ireland	Abstained
82	Israel	Against
83	Italy	Abstained
84	Jamaica	In Favour
85	Japan	Abstained
86	Jordan	In Favour
87	Kazakhstan	In Favour
88	Kenya	In Favour
89	Kiribati	In Favour
90	Kuwait	In Favour
91	Kyrgyzstan	In Favour
92	Lao PDR	In Favour
93	Latvia	Abstained
94	Lebanon	In Favour
95	Lesotho	In Favour
96	Liberia	In Favour
97	Libya	In Favour
98	Liechtenstein	Abstained
99	Lithuania	Abstained
100	Luxembourg	Abstained
101	Madagascar	In Favour
102	Malawi	In Favour
103	Malaysia	In Favour
104	Maldives	In Favour
105	Mali	In Favour
106	Malta	Abstained
107	Marshall Islands	In Favour
108	Mauritania	In Favour
109	Mauritius	In Favour
110	Mexico	In Favour
111	Micronesia	In Favour
112	Monaco	In Favour
113	Mongolia	In Favour
114	Montenegro	Abstained
115	Morocco	In Favour
116	Mozambique	In Favour
117	Myanmar	In Favour
118	Namibia	In Favour
119	Nauru	In Favour
120	Nepal	In Favour
121	Netherlands	Abstained
122	New Zealand	Abstained
123	Nicaragua	In Favour
124	Niger	In Favour
125	Nigeria	In Favour
126	North Macedonia	Abstained
127	Norway	Abstained
128	Oman	In Favour
129	Pakistan	In Favour
130	Palau	In Favour
131	Panama	In Favour
132	Papua New Guinea	In Favour
133	Paraguay	In Favour
134	Peru	In Favour
135	Philippines	In Favour
136	Poland	Abstained
137	Portugal	Abstained
138	Qatar	In Favour
139	Republic of Korea	In Favour
140	Republic of Moldova	Abstained
141	Romania	Abstained
142	Russian Federation	In Favour
143	Rwanda	In Favour
144	Saint Kitts and Nevis	In Favour
145	Saint Lucia	In Favour
146	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	In Favour
147	Samoa	In Favour
148	San Marino	Abstained
149	Sao Tome and Principe	In Favour
150	Saudi Arabia	In Favour
151	Senegal	In Favour
152	Serbia	Abstained
153	Seychelles	In Favour
154	Sierra Leone	In Favour
155	Singapore	In Favour
156	Slovakia	Abstained
157	Slovenia	Abstained
158	Solomon Islands	In Favour
159	Somalia	In Favour
160	South Africa	In Favour
161	South Sudan	In Favour
162	Spain	Abstained
163	Sri Lanka	In Favour
164	Sudan	In Favour
165	Sweden	Abstained
166	Switzerland	Abstained
167	Syrian Arab Republic	In Favour
168	Tajikistan	In Favour
169	Thailand	In Favour
170	Timor-Leste	In Favour
171	Togo	In Favour
172	Trinidad and Tobago	In Favour
173	Tunisia	In Favour
174	Turkiye	Abstained
175	Turkmenistan	In Favour
176	Tuvalu	In Favour
177	Uganda	In Favour
178	Ukraine	Abstained
179	United Arab Emirates	In Favour
180	United Kingdom	Abstained
181	United Republic of Tanzania	In Favour
182	United States	Against
183	Uruguay	Abstained
184	Uzbekistan	In Favour
185	Vanuatu	In Favour
186	Venezuela	In Favour
187	Viet Nam	In Favour
188	Yemen	In Favour
189	Zambia	In Favour
190	Zimbabwe	In Favour

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