Ghana to Host High-Level UN Event on Reparatory Justice During 81st General Assembly

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada

September 15, 2026

Ghana will host a high-level side event on Reparatory Justice during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on 23 September 2026, marking another major step in the country’s campaign for justice, restitution and dignity for Africa and people of African descent worldwide.

The event follows the landmark adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, championed by a coalition of the African Union (AU), CARICOM and the African Diaspora, which formally recognized the enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

Rather than viewing the resolution as the conclusion of the reparations movement, Ghana has positioned it as the beginning of a new global chapter by asking a pivotal question: What comes next?

From Accra to the United Nations

In June 2026, Ghana convened the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, bringing together African leaders, legal scholars, historians, civil society representatives and advocates of reparatory justice from across the world.

The conference sought to transform international recognition into concrete action by developing practical pathways toward restitution, accountability and historical justice.

Organizers described the gathering as a defining moment that united visionaries and champions committed to advancing the global reparations agenda.

Ghana establishes three global bodies

One of the most significant outcomes of the Accra conference was the creation of three international institutions tasked with advancing reparatory justice.

They include:

• The High-Level Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice

• The Global Experts Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Heritage

• The Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice

These bodies are expected to provide strategic, legal and policy recommendations on issues including cultural restitution, historical accountability and international legal frameworks for reparations.

Progress reports to be presented in New York

The September 23 side event at UNGA will serve as the first major international platform for the newly established panels to present progress reports on their work.

Ghana says the gathering is both symbolic and practical—representing a renewed commitment to the global reparations movement while inviting the international community to assess the momentum generated since the Accra conference.

The event will bring together governments, diplomats, international organizations and representatives of the African diaspora under the auspices of the United Nations.

A call for global solidarity

Ghana is urging nations around the world to support the growing movement for reparatory justice, emphasizing that the campaign extends beyond financial compensation to include historical truth, cultural restitution, institutional reform and the restoration of dignity.

The government says the New York gathering aims to catalyze a broader international dialogue and strengthen cooperation among countries committed to addressing the enduring consequences of slavery and colonialism.

As the birthplace of many of the defining chapters in the transatlantic slave trade, Ghana has increasingly positioned itself as a leading voice in the global reparations movement.

Leading Africa’s reparatory justice agenda

The upcoming UN event reinforces Ghana’s ambition to lead international efforts toward justice for Africa and its diaspora.

By moving the conversation from Accra to the United Nations, the country hopes to transform moral recognition into meaningful global action through law, diplomacy and international cooperation.

For Ghana, the message is clear: the struggle for reparatory justice did not end with a historic UN resolution—it has entered a new era of collective responsibility, unity and action.