Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has scored a historic diplomatic victory as the United Nations General Assembly passed his motion on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, with 123 member states voting in favour.
The motion, presented under Ghana’s leadership on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, calls for a renewed international commitment to reparative justice for African nations and the descendants of enslaved people.
It urges UN member states to engage in structured dialogue and concrete actions aimed at acknowledging and addressing the enduring social, economic, and cultural impacts of slavery.
After extensive debates, the motion was adopted with 123 votes in support. Three countries—the United States, Argentina, and Israel—voted against it, while 52 nations abstained from the vote.
The United States described the African Union Reparatory Justice Resolution as “highly problematic.” The US acknowledged the historical wrongs of slavery but said it could not support the motion, citing uncertainty over who the intended recipients of reparatory justice would be.
Speaking during the plenary session, the US representative stated:
“While we recognize the wrongs of the past, we are unclear on who the beneficiaries of reparatory justice would be, and therefore cannot support the resolution at this time.”
The adoption of Mahama’s motion is being hailed as a milestone in global efforts to confront the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, and signals growing international recognition of the need for justice, remembrance, and reparative measures
