The West African country expects the proposal to gain support from many UN member states, even though resistance is likely from some European nations, according to Ghana’s Foreign Ministry.
“The proposed resolution seeks to recognise transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime in the history of humankind, taking into account its scale, duration, legalisation and enduring consequences,” the ministry said in a statement to Reuters.
Officials say the resolution could be introduced at the UN General Assembly as early as this month.
The initiative is part of a broader push by African governments to secure international acknowledgement of the historic injustice and lasting impact of the transatlantic slave trade.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has strongly backed the proposal, describing it as an effort grounded in international law and aimed at ensuring that the full history of the slave trade is formally recognised by the international community.
Speaking earlier this year on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Mahama said the resolution would be the first step toward ensuring that the truth about the transatlantic slave trade is acknowledged globally.
The proposal has already received backing from all 40 African member states within the African Union, according to Ghanaian officials.
Earlier this week, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also appealed to members of the Commonwealth of Nations to support the initiative.
Addressing the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting in London, Ablakwa urged fellow member states to rally behind the proposal ahead of a vote expected around March 25.
He said the resolution aims to secure formal global recognition of the scale, brutality and long-term consequences of the centuries-long trade in enslaved Africans, while also strengthening ongoing conversations about reparative justice.
Calls for reparations linked to slavery and colonial exploitation have gained renewed attention in recent years. Governments in Africa and the Caribbean have increasingly argued that the legacy of slavery continues to shape economic inequalities and social injustices today.
The transatlantic slave trade, which lasted from the 15th to the 19th century, forcibly transported more than 12 million Africans to the Americas. Historians say the trade devastated African societies while helping to generate enormous wealth in Europe and the Americas.
By pushing the UN resolution, Ghana hopes to secure formal global recognition of the historical scale and consequences of the slave trade, a step supporters believe could strengthen future discussions on reparations and historical justice.
