Ghana’s President John Mahama. Who secured a decisive victory in the 2024 election, has positioned himself at the forefront of a growing movement to secure reparations for the legacy of transatlantic slavery. On Wednesday. A landmark UN resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, declaring the practice of chattel slavery as “the gravest crime against humanity.” The resolution was met with widespread support from African, Asian. Caribbean nations. But faced opposition from the Western bloc, including the United States, Canada, and the UK, which all abstained from the vote.

Historical divisions shape the vote

The resolution. Which was adopted by the UN General Assembly, highlights deep historical divisions over the legacy of slavery — While 123 countries voted in favor, the three nations that publicly opposed it—Argentina, Israel, and the United States—each have complex ties to the slave trade. Argentina, for instance, imported enslaved Africans during the 16th and 17th centuries, with two-thirds of its imports during that period consisting of enslaved people; the U.S., meanwhile, saw 11 states secede in 1861 to avoid the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in Confederate territory.

The U.S. ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council, Dan Negrea, emphasized that Washington does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred. This stance reflects a broader resistance among Western nations to acknowledging historical guilt and paying reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.

Human rights advocates argue that the reluctance of some nations to support the resolution stems from fears that it could open the door to reparatory payments. The resolution itself is not legally binding, but it carries symbolic and political weight. The Vatican’s permanent observer to the UN, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, called the resolution a “partial narrative,” but avoided mentioning the papal edicts of 1452 and 1455 that paved the way for transatlantic slavery by authorizing the enslavement of non-Christians in Africa.

African Union’s decade of reparations begins

The African Union has declared the years 2026–2036 as its “decade of reparations,” and Mahama has been named its champion in this cause. The resolution. Which took months of consultations with African and diaspora communities, has energized the African Union to push for reparatory justice, even in the face of Western resistance.

According to the African Union, 15 million people were enslaved over the course of 400 years, and the movement for reparations seeks to address the historical and ongoing effects of this systemic injustice. The organization has established a committee of experts to develop a framework for reparatory justice and to engage descendants of enslaved people around the world.

Mahama, who is set to become the African Union chair in 2027, has expressed confidence in the movement’s momentum. “We travel this long road, each step guided by a desire to be better and to do better, each step bringing us closer to the kind of world we would want to leave for our children,” he said in his speech at the UN General Assembly.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for “far bolder action” in response to the resolution, signaling the international community’s recognition of the gravity of the issue. The resolution itself has been welcomed as a significant step forward by many African nations, which have long sought international recognition of their historical suffering.

What’s next for reparations?

The African Union’s push for reparations is expected to continue in the coming years, with a focus on engaging Western nations and securing international support for the cause. The movement has already begun to gather momentum, with the formation of an expert committee and increasing international attention on the issue.

With the African Union’s decade of reparations beginning in 2026, the coming years will be critical for the movement. The organization faces the challenge of overcoming resistance from Western nations, which have historically avoided acknowledging their role in the transatlantic slave trade. However, the recent UN resolution has provided a significant boost to the cause, and Mahama’s leadership is seen as a key factor in the movement’s success.

The resolution has also sparked a broader conversation about historical justice and the legacy of slavery around the world. While the path to reparations remains uncertain, the African Union and its allies are determined to continue the fight for justice and recognition of the suffering endured by millions of enslaved people over the centuries.