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UN votes to call transatlantic chattel slave trade the "gravest crime against humanity"

A UN resolution led by Ghana and backed by the African Union and Caricom labels the transatlantic chattel slave trade the gravest crime against humanity and calls for reparations, passing with 123 votes in favour, 3 against and 52 abstentions.

Mar 25th 2026 · Ghana

Insights

  • The UN voted in New York to describe the transatlantic chattel slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
  • The resolution was proposed by Ghana president John Dramani Mahama and urges reparations as a concrete step to remedy historical wrongs.
  • Voting was 123 in favour, 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States) and 52 abstentions, including the United Kingdom and EU members.
  • For four centuries, seven European nations enslaved and trafficked more than 15 million Africans across the Atlantic.
  • The resolution is not legally binding but supporters say it provides political recognition that could advance reparatory justice and further actions.

Sources