A landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution has classified the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, sparking renewed global dialogue on reparations and the lasting consequences of historic slavery. The resolution, led by Ghana and the African Union, emphasizes the urgent need to address past injustices and their ongoing impact on African societies and descendants worldwide. This post was co-authored by Halima Abena Kyerewah Adam (Ghana Correspondent, University of Cape Coast Faculty of Law) and Cecile Akoeley Attiogbe Atayi (Legal Associate, University of Cape Coast Faculty of Law).
The UN General Assembly passed a historic decision resolution on March 25, 2026, declaring human trafficking of enslaved Africans and the enslavement of racially motivated chattels of Africans to be the gravest crimes against humanity (A/80/L.48). The resolution was adopted at the 75th plenary session of the 80th session – an annual plenary session; Meeting in memory of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a day to educate and reflect on slavery every year. This day was established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 2006 and became an annual event starting in 2008.
The resolution was supported by Ghana and the African Union (AU) to officially recognize the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity and call for reparations. It was adopted with an overwhelming majority of 123 votes in favour, three against from the United States (US), Argentina and Israel and 52 Member States abstaining. The entire European Union (EU) bloc, Canada, Australia and Japan took part in the abstention.
In Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahamas 2025 address At the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, he stressed the need to demand reparations for the enslavement of over 12.5 million Africans, which created wealth for powerful Western nations.
International legal instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) defines the prohibition of slavery and the slave trade under Article 4, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) Roman Statute classifies enslavement under Article 7 as Crimes against humanity. Similar, Customary international law recognizes mandatory law or imperative norms – norms from which no deviation is permitted, which are universal, fundamental and inherent in the nature of every person. They do not require formal codification to be recognized as crimes.
The push for reparative justice began in September 2023, when Ghana’s former President Grandfather Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressed the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. He called for the payment of reparations to countries affected by the transatlantic slave trade.
The Transatlantic slave trade was part of the global slave trade that took place between the 16th and 19th centuries and brought millions of African people across the Atlantic to the Americas. It formed the second stage of the Triangular Trade, in which European goods such as weapons, textiles, and wine were exchanged for enslaved Africans, who were then shipped to the Americas to work on plantations that produced sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cotton—goods that were in turn exported to Europe. The trade began in the late 15th century with Portuguese merchants transporting Africans to work on plantations in the Atlantic islands, and later expanded under Spanish, Dutch, French and British control. By the 18th century, nearly three-fifths of all enslaved Africans were transported, reflecting the increasing need for labor on sugar plantations in the Caribbean and tobacco fields in North America.
The impact on Africa was catastrophic: warlords and tribes were encouraged to capture and sell people, leading to widespread violence and instability. The displacement of millions of young men and women led to depopulation, economic stagnation and social disintegration, leaving the elderly and dependent populations behind. The prisoners endured forced marches of up to 300 miles to coastal ports, with 10-15% dying before reaching the ships. The Middle Passage itself was notorious for its overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, which led to serious illness and death. The Africans were chained in suffocating holds while between 15 and 25% died during the journey. The Zong massacre In 1781, another atrocity that highlighted the inhumanity of the slave trade was when the ship’s captain ordered crew members to throw more than 130 enslaved Africans overboard to fraudulently file insurance claims. The slave trade also weakened and fragmented Africa politically, which resulted in colonization of African countries.
Although commemoration of the victims of slavery – particularly transatlantic slavery – is celebrated every year, this year’s commemoration marked history under the theme “Justice in Action.” The resolution adopted this year seeks to recognize the profound and lasting impact of the abhorrent regimes of slavery and colonization and emphasizes that demands for reparations represent a concrete step toward redressing historical injustices against Africans and people of African descent. The question that has sparked debate is whether a demand for reparations is a real step towards justice.
Arguments for reparations by African states as victims are based on the fact that the effects of slavery and the resulting colonization are still felt today, as evidenced by the existence of poverty. While the Western states continue to live off “stolen wealth” as perpetrators.
Critics might rely on the argument whether reparations for crimes committed in the 19th century can be legal in the 21st century based on the principle of intertemporality advocated in the 19th century Palmas Island Case. The principle states that the legality of an act must be assessed taking into account the laws in force at the time the act was committed. In contrast, the ongoing validity of the legal act is assessed based on evolving legal norms. Since slavery was not illegal under international law at the time it occurred, it would be essentially wrong to demand reparations as it would not be in the interests of justice. The counter-argument, however, is that the international legal principle of mandatory law stands the test of time: Slavery is inherently unlawful, regardless of whether it was normalized in past centuries.
Because circumstances surrounding slavery and the slave trade have changed over time, it can also be argued that reparations may not reflect justice in the truest sense of the word. Since then, colonial powers have taken on new and different forms, and it would be unfair to hold today’s citizens and taxpayers responsible for harms in which they were not directly involved. Likewise, the descendants of enslaved people who suffered from the diseases are spread across all nations.
Again, concerns about the involvement of some African rulers in the slave trade raise the question of whether reparations to African states would be justified. However, the Minority Leader of the Ghanaian Parliament condemned the deplorable indignities of the victims of slavery, saying: Honorable Alexander Afenyo Markins stated that reparations are not necessary because the Blackman himself mistreated his fellow man and gave the Whiteman the chance to do the same.
Amid these arguments, it is worth noting that the adopted resolution A/80/L.48 does not provide for funds for reparations, but opens the door to future voluntary commitments to reparatory justice. Although UN General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry moral and political weight even without enforceable obligations. It becomes even more heartbreaking, especially given that the resolution does not have the support of the majority of the world’s major superpowers, many of which were directly involved in perpetuating slavery; the US, EU and others acting as perpetrators of slavery so that the achievement can be best realized.
Symbolically, the resolution is historic. It presents the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, places reparations within the discourse of international justice and affirms the dignity of the victims and their descendants. Under this year’s theme, “Justice in Action,” the resolution represents a step toward righting historical wrongs. The Secretary-General is expected to do so submit submit to the General Assembly at its 82nd session a report on the measures taken by States to implement this resolution.
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