The United Nations on Wednesday adopted a resolution spearheaded by Ghana that labels the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity” and urges reparations.
The measure won broad support, with 123 countries voting in favor. Only three nations, the United States, Israel and Argentina, opposed it, while 52 states, including the United Kingdom and members of the European Union, abstained.
Ghana said the resolution is essential because the legacy of slavery continues to shape racial inequality and economic disparities today.
President John Dramani Mahama hailed the vote as a milestone on the path toward “healing, truth and reparative justice.”
The initiative reflects momentum from Caribbean reparations campaigns and broader African calls for accountability.
Supporters described the resolution as a landmark acknowledgment of centuries of injustice and a foundation for future dialogue on reparations.
Opponents raised concerns about how the resolution frames responsibility and the possible financial obligations it implies.
European countries that abstained cited similar reservations while recognizing the devastating impact of slavery.
The transatlantic slave trade, which lasted from the 16th through the 19th centuries, forcibly transported more than 12 million Africans to the Americas.
Driven largely by European powers such as Portugal, Britain, Spain, France and the Netherlands, along with the United States, the trade shattered African societies and fueled colonial economies through forced labor.
