Overview
- Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama, led the push at the United Nations and accused the U.S. of normalizing the erasure of Black history in a New York speech.
- The General Assembly approved the measure that labels the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime in human history, with 123 votes in favor, 3 against, and 52 abstentions.
- The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted no, while many European states declined to support the measure by abstaining after earlier refusals to back the text.
- The resolution urges member states to start talks on reparations that include formal apologies, the return of looted African artifacts, financial compensation, and guarantees of non-repetition.
- The African Union, the Caribbean Community, and Brazil backed the effort, reflecting growing Global South support even as Western governments resist formal accountability.