Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, is set to table a historic resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking a declaration that the Transatlantic Slave Trade is the gravest crime against humanity.
The announcement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the initiative by championed by the President is scheduled for consideration on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, coinciding with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
In a press statement issued by the Ministry on Thursday, March 19, 2026, it said Ghana is advancing the resolution in its role as Africa Union Champion on Reparations, in collaboration with the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), alongside people of African descent globally.
“The resolution would formally declare the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity by reason of the definitive break in world history, scale, duration, systemic nature, brutality and enduring consequences,” the statement said in some parts.
In the United Nation’s 80-year history, the resolution, if adopted, would be the first comprehensive motion on slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade for the organisation, according to the Ministry.
The statement said the move would “preserve historical truth as a foundation for justice and reconciliation” and respond to growing calls for reparatory justice, accountability and healing.
Before the tabling, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground in New York on March 24, 2026, followed by a high-level event on reparatory justice at the United Nations.
The ministry expressed appreciation to a wide range of institutions and experts, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and various African Union bodies, for their contributions to drafting the proposal.
It further urged member states of the UN to support the initiative, describing it as a defining moment in advancing global justice and addressing the long-term consequences of slavery.
After the motion is considered, Ghana is expected to push for reparatory justice as part of the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036).
PALU backs Ghana’s landmark UN resolution on slavery as gravest crime against humanity
