Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Ghana School of Law, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has raised concerns about the practical impact of a recent United Nations resolution on slavery, warning that enforcing it will be difficult.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, March 26, he questioned both the process used to adopt the resolution and its likelihood of producing meaningful outcomes.
According to him, while the resolution appears significant, its passage through the United Nations General Assembly limits its effectiveness, as such decisions are not legally binding.
“Resolutions passed by the General Assembly are largely recommendatory and do not carry legal force,” he explained.
Prof Appiagyei-Atua also highlighted the voting pattern, noting that although 123 countries supported the resolution and only three opposed it, 53 abstained—an outcome he believes should not be overlooked.
“The abstention is more or less a diplomatic way of saying no,” he said, arguing that it signals reluctance among several countries to fully commit.
He stressed that the position of major global powers is critical, warning that their lack of support raises serious doubts about implementation.
“Implementation is going to be difficult because the big powers either voted against it or abstained,” he noted.
Drawing parallels with history, he said similar international efforts in the 1970s—particularly those linked to calls for a new international economic order—failed due to resistance from powerful nations, especially former colonial powers.
“These resolutions are often well-intentioned, even ‘beautiful,’ but enforcement becomes the challenge,” he said.
He further argued that even binding international laws face enforcement difficulties, particularly when powerful states choose not to comply.
“If they refuse to cooperate, there is little that can be done due to the influence they wield globally,” he added.
The comments follow the adoption of a landmark resolution by the United Nations General Assembly, spearheaded by Ghana, which recognises slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as among the greatest injustices in human history and calls for reparations.
The resolution was passed with 123 votes in favour, three against, and 53 abstentions, and acknowledges the centuries of suffering, violence, and economic exploitation inflicted on millions of Africans and people of African descent.
