Slavery was the most horrendous crime that took place in the history of mankind, Ghana's foreign minister has told the BBC ahead of a landmark vote at the UN General Assembly.
Member states are set to vote on a resolution - led by Ghana - to recognize the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
The proposal urges UN member states to consider apologizing for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund.
Despite anticipated resistance from nations like the UK, which has historically rejected paying reparations, supporters claim the resolution marks a vital step towards restorative justice.
Ghana's foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa emphasized that the resolution is not about prioritizing African pain but acknowledging a historical fact and seeking justice. He asserted, We want justice for the victims and causes to be supported, educational and endowment funds, skills training funds..
Approximately 12-15 million Africans were captured and taken to the Americas between 1500 and 1800, with over two million estimated to have died en route. Ghana, a principal entry point for the trade, has long advocated for reparations.
In addition to reparations, the resolution calls for returning cultural artifacts taken during the colonial era. Ablakwa insisted on the significance of these items to Ghana's heritage, stating, All those artefacts looted for many centuries into the colonial era ought to be returned.
Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama described the resolution as historic and a safeguard against forgetting.
