Story perspectives

UN Demands Reparations for Slave Trade in New Guidance

8/31/2026

Summary

Story summary

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued guidance demanding reparatory measures for the transatlantic slave trade.
The guidance calls for opening archives, revising memorials, and creating truth commissions.
The UN General Assembly declared the slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, with 123 votes for and three against.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Ablakwa said reparations funds will support education, skills training, endowments, and justice.

History

Historical Context

After the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban adopted a declaration condemning racism and urging reparative action, the 2009 Durban Review faced boycotts by the United States, Canada and others over anti-Israel concerns. Today, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination cites that legacy, urging Ghana’s foreign minister Samuel Ablakwa to open archives and fund education, a step backed by 189 UN member states.

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Story summary

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued guidance demanding reparatory measures for the transatlantic slave trade.
The guidance calls for opening archives, revising memorials, and creating truth commissions.
The UN General Assembly declared the slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, with 123 votes for and three against.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Ablakwa said reparations funds will support education, skills training, endowments, and justice.

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