Ghana Hosts Landmark Conference to Advance Global Slavery Reparations

Ghana opened a major three-day international summit on Thursday aimed at turning growing political momentum for slavery reparations into concrete, actionable global commitments.

The conference follows a non-binding United Nations resolution passed in March, which formally designated the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.” Spearheaded by Ghanaian President John Mahama, the resolution calls on nations historically involved in the slave trade to actively participate in restorative justice.

Speaking at the opening session, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Ablakwa emphasized that the movement has entered a new phase.

“We won the battle against slavery, we won the battle against colonialism, we won the battle against apartheid, and we are confident that we shall win the battle against reparatory injustice,” Ablakwa stated. He noted that the West African nation, once a prominent hub for the slave trade, is transitioning into a “sanctuary for healing and reparative justice.”

The push for reparations has seen a notable shift in international rhetoric in recent months. French President Emmanuel Macron recently endorsed the symbolic repeal of colonial-era royal decrees governing slavery, while Pope Leo XIV issued a formal apology last month for the Catholic Church’s historical delay in condemning the practice.

The Accra summit has drawn high-profile leaders and activists from across the globe. Key speakers scheduled for the event include the heads of state from Barbados, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Namibia, and Liberia, alongside Nigerian Nobel laureate and human rights activist Wole Soyinka.

In tandem with its diplomatic efforts, Ghana has continued to strengthen ties with the African diaspora, granting citizenship to more than 1,000 diaspora members in recent years as part of its broader repatriation and healing initiatives.