Newsletter 05/26 - United Nations calls for reparations

As announced in recent months on 22 March 2026 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made a final heartfelt appeal to all United Nations Member States to vote in favour of the draft resolution defining the trade of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

On March 25, 2026 the United Nations General Assembly approved resolution A/RES/80/250 (Declaration of the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity) by 123 votes in favor, 3 against (Argentina, Israel and the United States) and 52 abstentions, urging reparations for slavery's historical wrongs through a full and formal apology, measures of restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, guarantees of non‑repetition and changes to laws, programmes and services to address racism and systemic discrimination.

The news of the resolution's adoption was met with enthusiastic congratulations from the African Union (promoter) and the Caribbean Community (supporter) and embarrassing justifications from the countries of the European Union (abstainers) and the United States (opposer), while the Director of the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Abramova had already stated the day before that Russia is ready to assist African countries in calculating the total volume of reparations that Western countries should pay to the continent for crimes of the colonial period.

Colonialism Reparation welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a resolution urging reparations for slavery's historical wrongs and calls, like United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, for all Member States to promote action to eradicate systemic racism, ensure reparatory justice and accelerate inclusive development.