The UN General Assembly has designated the transatlantic African slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity", in a move advocates hailed as a step towards healing and possible reparations.
The resolution was adopted on Wednesday to applause by a vote of 123 in favour; three against, the United States, Israel and Argentina; and 52 abstentions, including Britain and member states of the European Union.
"The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity that struck at the core of personhood, broke up families, and devastated communities," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"To justify the unjustifiable, slavery's proponents and beneficiaries constructed a racist ideology, turning prejudice into a pseudoscience."
The resolution goes beyond recognition, urging nations involved in the slave trade to engage in reparatory justice, including formal apologies, compensation and measures to address systemic discrimination.
It also calls for the “prompt and unhindered restitution” of cultural items such as artworks, monuments and archives to their countries of origin.
John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s president and a key advocate of reparations, addressed the assembly ahead of the vote, describing the resolution as a step towards healing.
“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice,” he said, adding that it would serve as “a safeguard against forgetting.”
The text explicitly condemns “the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans” and highlights the enduring legacy of slavery, including persistent racial discrimination and what it describes as neo-colonial structures.
Member states are encouraged to hold discussions on reparatory justice and to support education initiatives on the transatlantic slave trade.
The resolution also calls for cooperation between regional bodies such as the African Union, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States to advance reconciliation efforts.
