Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says the adoption of the United Nations resolution on the transatlantic slave trade marks a critical step toward sustained global engagement on reparatory justice.
Speaking in the United States after the United Nations approved the Ghana-led resolution on Wednesday, March 25, Mr Ablakwa emphasised that the decision lays the foundation for a broader and more meaningful global conversation.
“The resolution also opens the door for continued global engagement on reparatory justice, not as a narrow or transactional concept, but as a broader framework for healing, restoration, and partnership,” he said.
He stressed that the resolution places responsibility on individual member states to act, urging governments to initiate inclusive and good-faith discussions on reparations.
“It calls for further action within our respective states… to ensure inclusive and good faith dialogue on reparatory justice,” he noted.
Mr Ablakwa cautioned that while the resolution represents progress, it does not mark the end of the pursuit of justice, but rather the beginning of a more deliberate effort to address the enduring impact of slavery.
“The work of justice does not end with remembrance,” he said, adding that global systems shaped by historical inequalities must give way to structures grounded in fairness and shared humanity.
He underscored the need for a more just and equitable world order, insisting that the legacy of slavery must be addressed in ways that unite rather than divide.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the resolution, the minister said the global community now has an opportunity to reshape how history is remembered and applied to future progress.
“We cannot change history, but we can change how we remember it—and in doing so, we can change what we carry forward,” he stated.
He concluded by urging the international community to translate the resolution into action. “Today, the world has chosen to remember with purpose, justice, and equity. Let that purpose guide us toward a future that is more just, more inclusive, and more profoundly human,” he said.
