UN to Vote on Slavery as Gravest Crime
Last update: March 25, 2026
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UNGA resolution seeks to call African slave trade " the gravest crime"..
The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution declaring the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” in what advocates describe as a step toward justice and healing.
John Mahama, a leading voice within the African Union on reparations, visited United Nations headquarters to promote what he called a “historic” initiative.
Addressing the UN on Tuesday, Mahama said the resolution would allow the global community to “bear witness” to the suffering of more than 12.5 million Africans subjected to slavery over four centuries.
Describing the move as “a safeguard against forgetting,” he also criticised efforts in the United States to restrict teaching about slavery and racial discrimination.
The draft resolution declares the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity and highlights the enduring legacy of slavery, including systemic racism and inequality.
Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah said clearly naming the atrocities removes ambiguity from the historical record and acknowledges their lasting impact.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa called for formal apologies from countries involved in the slave trade, including European nations and the United States, and urged steps toward restorative justice such as the return of looted artefacts and potential compensation.
He dismissed concerns that the resolution could create a hierarchy of suffering, saying the aim is to recognise the scale, duration and lasting consequences of the transatlantic slave trade.
