September 1, 2026
By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana’s international campaign for reparatory justice over the transatlantic slave trade has entered what officials describe as its strongest legal phase yet, following a landmark interpretation issued by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
The new UN guidance argues that countries which benefited from the trafficking and enslavement of Africans have continuing legal obligations under international law to address the enduring consequences of slavery through reparatory measures, including restitution, compensation, official apologies and guarantees of non-repetition.
A major breakthrough for Ghana’s campaign
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the CERD guidance, describing it as a significant affirmation of the country’s efforts to secure justice for millions of Africans and their descendants affected by the transatlantic slave trade.
The development follows months of diplomatic engagement led by President John Dramani Mahama, who currently serves as the African Union Champion for Reparations. Ghana has been at the forefront of a continental effort to transform historical recognition into concrete legal and political action.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the UN committee’s position weakens one of the most common legal arguments historically used to resist reparations — the claim that slavery cannot attract liability because it was considered lawful during the period in which it occurred.
UN says historical legality is no longer the issue
The CERD guidance represents what the committee itself calls a “paradigm shift” in international human rights law. Rather than focusing on whether slavery violated laws that existed centuries ago, the committee argues that modern states remain bound by the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to remedy the continuing effects of racialised slavery.
The committee emphasizes that reparations extend beyond financial compensation. Its recommendations include:
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Official state apologies
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Restitution of stolen cultural heritage and archives
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Compensation and rehabilitation measures
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Educational and legal reforms
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Guarantees that such atrocities are never repeated
The guidance could become an important legal reference in future international court proceedings involving reparatory justice claims.
From UN Resolution to global movement
The latest development builds upon Ghana’s historic diplomatic victory earlier this year when the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250, recognising the transatlantic enslavement of Africans and racialised chattel slavery as among the gravest crimes against humanity. The resolution was sponsored by Ghana on behalf of the African Group and received overwhelming international support.
Since that vote, Ghana says international support for reparatory justice has gathered “unprecedented momentum,” with African governments, CARICOM nations and diaspora organisations increasingly coordinating their advocacy on the global stage.
Mahama to intensify campaign at the UN
President Mahama is expected to expand Ghana’s diplomatic offensive during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.
Ghana will host a high-level side event focused on the restitution of African cultural heritage and broader reparatory justice, building on outcomes from the Next Steps Summit on Reparations held in Accra earlier this year.
The Accra summit brought together African leaders, Caribbean representatives, legal scholars and diaspora organisations to develop practical frameworks for pursuing justice through international law, cultural restitution and institutional reform.
Why this matters beyond Ghana
Historians estimate that at least 12.5 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic between the 15th and 19th centuries in one of history’s largest forced migrations. The economic and social consequences of slavery continue to shape inequalities across Africa, the Caribbean and the wider African diaspora.
Ghana argues that reparations are not solely about financial payments but about acknowledging historical truth, restoring stolen heritage, confronting systemic racism and creating meaningful pathways toward justice for descendants of enslaved Africans.
As the international conversation shifts from moral recognition to legal responsibility, Ghana’s campaign is increasingly positioning the country as one of the leading voices advocating reparatory justice within the African Union and the United Nations
