Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has commended President John Dramani Mahama and the people of Ghana for their leadership in advancing the global reparatory justice agenda.
President Lula made the remarks during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he referenced the landmark UN declaration recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the “gravest crime against humanity.”
The declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026, following a Ghana-led initiative championed by President Mahama.
The resolution also called for inclusive dialogue on reparatory justice and recognised the need to address the enduring consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Lula praises UN declaration
In his address, President Lula described the General Assembly’s decision as a correction of what he called a historical distortion.
“This General Assembly recently corrected a historical distortion in the world map. It recognised the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” he said.
He argued that the international community must now move beyond formal recognition and focus on broader challenges affecting humanity’s future.
“It approves a more accurate representation of the world map. Now, it needs to focus on issues crucial for the future of humanity. We are called to choose between multilateralism or unilateralism, democracy or extremism, sovereignty or subordination,” President Lula stated.
“These choices require courage, political will, and clarity of objectives. This is what we expect from a statesman.”
Ghana leads reparatory justice efforts
President Lula’s remarks come as Ghana continues efforts to translate the UN declaration into practical measures to advance the global reparations agenda.
The resolution, formally titled the Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity, was adopted as UN General Assembly Resolution 80/250.
It formally recognises the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity and calls on member states to engage in dialogue on reparatory justice.
President Mahama first announced Ghana’s intention to introduce the resolution during his address to the UN General Assembly in September 2025. Ghana subsequently led the initiative on behalf of the African Group, culminating in its adoption in March 2026.
The development has since been followed by efforts to establish practical pathways for advancing reparatory justice.
In June 2026, Ghana hosted a high-level conference on reparatory justice in Accra, bringing together stakeholders to discuss the next steps in advancing the global reparations agenda.
Brazil backs Ghana-led initiative
Brazil has been among the countries supporting Ghana’s initiative.
President Lula had earlier expressed Brazil’s support for the Ghana-led resolution during the CELAC-Africa Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, ahead of the UN General Assembly vote.
His latest comments further highlight Brazil’s support for efforts to advance international discussions on the historical and continuing consequences of the transatlantic slave trade and racialised enslavement.
