CARICOM Reparations Commission Supports Historic UN Recognition of Slavery as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity

CARIBBEAN REGION--The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) has welcomed a historic milestone at the United Nations following the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution titled: “Declaration on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.”

The resolution, led by Ghana and African States, marks a major step in the global movement for truth, justice, and reparatory justice by formally recognizing the transatlantic trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

At the invitation of Ghana and the African Union, CARICOM and advisory members played a supportive role in the technical and advisory bodies that helped shape the resolution. The final text was informed by leading scholars from Africa and the Caribbean, including members of the CRC, and reflected a strong intellectual, legal, and historical foundation grounded in justice and truth.

Through its technical and advisory leadership, the CRC worked closely with the Ghanaian delegation under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama. Among the key contributors were CRC Chair Sir Hilary Beckles, CRC Vice-Chair Professor Verene Shepherd, June Soomer, and Gaynel Curry, all of whom are also members of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

The negotiation process took place through six informal consultations held from March 5 to March 16, 2026. Those discussions revealed significant divisions among Member States, particularly over the inclusion of the word “gravest” in the resolution. Associated CRC members James Finies and Davika Bissessar Shaw attended all sessions as observers and directly witnessed the intensity of the negotiations.

Despite sustained resistance, particularly from European Union Member States and former colonial powers, the General Assembly adopted the resolution on March 25, 2026.

The final vote was:

123 in favor
3 against
52 abstentions

According to the CRC, the pattern of abstentions underscores an ongoing reluctance by certain States, especially within the European Union and among former colonial powers, to fully acknowledge the legal and moral gravity of transatlantic chattel enslavement. The Commission said this also raises serious questions about the credibility of prior apologies offered by some of those same States.

A major feature of the resolution is its explicit recognition of the CARICOM 10-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice as a legitimate international framework. The CRC said this reinforces its leadership in advancing global reparatory justice and in shaping multilateral responses to the enduring legacy of slavery and colonialism.

Ghana, African States, and CARICOM Caribbean co-sponsors, including Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and The Bahamas, were credited with leading the uncompromising advancement of the resolution and ensuring that it was brought before the General Assembly for a democratic decision.

The CRC also pointed to the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, invoked by President Mahama during the process: “Neutrality between right and wrong is to serve wrong.” The Commission said the resolution represents a decisive step toward truth, accountability, and meaningful reparatory justice.

The adoption of the resolution affirms what the CRC described as a long-standing truth: that transatlantic chattel enslavement constitutes the gravest crime against humanity. The Commission said it remains unwavering in its commitment to transforming that recognition into concrete international action, including comprehensive reparatory justice.

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