- The United Nations General Assembly has declared the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity”
- While 123 nations, largely from the Global South, supported the resolution, Western countries abstained or opposed
- The vote reignited global debate over reparations, with Ghana leading calls for justice and the West resisting responsibility
The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution denouncing the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”.
According to BBC, the resolution highlighted the scale, brutality, and enduring consequences of the mass enslavement and trading of Africans, stressing that its legacy continues to shape racialised systems of labour, property, and capital.
Source: Getty Images
Global South supports, West abstains
The resolution gained overwhelming support from the Global South, with 123 votes in favour. However, the political West refused to formally condemn the slave trade.
Fifty-two countries abstained, including all of Europe and Ukraine. Just three countries voted against: the United States, Israel, and Argentina under President Javier Milei. Paraguay abstained, while Bolivia and Ecuador did not vote. Venezuela was unable to participate due to unpaid UN membership fees, linked to US sanctions.
Even Ireland and Spain, which have previously broken with EU consensus on Palestine, abstained.
Ghana leads call for reparative justice
The resolution was sponsored by Ghana. President John Mahama emphasised Africa’s demand for “reparative justice”.
The UN News agency underscored the historical impact:
“For more than 400 years, millions of people were stolen from Africa, put in shackles and shipped to the New World to toil in cotton fields and sugar and coffee plantations under scorching heat and the crack of the whip.”
The agency noted that the repercussions of slavery include persistent anti-Black racism and discrimination.
Western opposition to reparations
What particularly angered Western governments was the resolution’s call for reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans.
The US representative, Dan Negrea, described the resolution as “highly problematic in countless respects”. The US government argued that slavery was not illegal under international law at the time, and therefore no reparations are owed. The European Union echoed this stance, warning against “retroactive application of international rules” and insisting that reparations lack a legal basis.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also abstained, stating there is “no duty to provide reparation for historical acts that were not, at the time those acts were committed, violations of international law”.
Historical context and continuing debate
The resolution underscores how Western capitalist economies were built on the exploitation of enslaved Africans. While the Global South has united in calling for recognition and reparations, Western nations continue to resist, citing legal principles of non-retroactivity.
This vote highlights a deep divide in global politics: the Global South’s push for justice and accountability versus the West’s refusal to accept responsibility for historical crimes.
Source: Getty Images
Netanyahu and Trump clash over Iran war
Legit.ng earlier reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pushed for a coordinated call urging Iranians to take to the streets against their government last week.
According to two U.S. officials and an Israeli source, Netanyahu believed the timing was right after Israeli strikes killed senior Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani, Iran’s national security chief, and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia.
Source: Legit.ng
