Ghana has opened its global coalition on reparatory justice to every United Nations (UN) member state, regardless of how each country voted on the landmark slavery resolution adopted in March, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Wednesday during a high-level briefing with Accra’s diplomatic corps.
The clarification came as Ablakwa laid out Ghana’s roadmap for implementing UN General Assembly Resolution A/80/L.48, which declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement the gravest crime against humanity. Adopted on March 25, 2026, with 123 votes in favour, the resolution was introduced by Ghana and backed by the African Union (AU). The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against it, while the United Kingdom and all 27 European Union (EU) member states abstained.
Ablakwa stressed that Ghana’s initiative was not intended to deepen divisions between the Global North and South. “This is a growing coalition, and we welcome all who believe in justice and shared humanity,” he said. “Our objective is to find common ground and move forward together.”
The minister also drew a firm distinction between the resolution’s objectives and conventional development aid. Ghana’s push, he said, is centred on restitution, healing, and the return of stolen cultural property rather than the mobilisation of funds for Africa’s development. He highlighted the resolution’s call for the prompt and unhindered restitution of artefacts, monuments, manuscripts, and archives of historical and spiritual significance.
“Cultural restitution is not a matter of generosity,” Ablakwa said. “It is a matter of justice.”
Ghana will host a High-Level Consultative Conference in Accra from June 17 to 19, 2026, designed to bring together heads of state, foreign ministers, scholars, civil society actors, and representatives of the African diaspora to develop a unified global implementation framework. The dates coincide with Juneteenth, which marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. President John Dramani Mahama, who serves as the AU Champion on Reparatory Justice, will lead the gathering.
Edmond Moukala, country representative of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), praised President Mahama and the African Union for driving the resolution forward and pledged UNESCO’s support for good-faith dialogue among nations.
“As we look into the painful parts of history, there are also a lot of opportunities for collaboration, bridging differences, and moving the world forward,” Moukala said.
The diplomatic corps, whose members expressed broad but varied support during the session, also heard that Ghana plans a high-level side event at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly later in 2026 as part of sustained international engagement.
