By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Three countries — the United States, Israel and Argentina, have voted against a resolution led by President John Dramani Mahama declaring the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations.
The vote followed a push by President Mahama at the United Nations General Assembly on March 25 for the adoption of the resolution, which also proposed the establishment of a reparations framework.
The resolution received overwhelming support, with 123 countries voting in favour and 52 abstaining.
Countries that voted against the motion cited concerns about its broader implications, particularly its potential to reshape international legal and political interpretations of historical injustices.
A representative of the United States described the resolution as a “cynical usage of historical wrongs as a leverage point… to reallocate modern resources to people and nations who are distantly related to the historical victims.”
Israel expressed similar concerns, while Argentina also opposed the measure, although detailed explanations for its position were less prominent during the proceedings.
The resolution, championed by Ghana in its capacity as the African Union Champion on Reparations, seeks to formally recognise the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as one of the gravest crimes in human history. It highlights the scale, brutality and long-term global impact of the slave trade, and calls for reparations, including formal apologies, restitution and compensation.
In his address to the General Assembly, President Mahama emphasised the need for truth and accountability.
“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparatory justice,” he said.
