Leaders from Africa and the Caribbean called on Friday in Ghana for countries that participated in the slave trade to issue apologies and pay reparations for the trafficking of enslaved Africans, following a historic United Nations resolution in March that described the practice as "the most serious crime against humanity."
The "Next Steps" conference in the Ghanaian capital Accra issued a declaration calling on states that participated in the transatlantic slave trade to "offer full, formal and unconditional apologies as an essential step towards reconciliation, trust-building and the achievement of reparatory justice."
Although the UN resolution is not legally binding, it carries significant moral weight. Conference organisers said the aim is to move the debate on reparations from the stage of recognition to concrete action, including seeking to impose reparations under international law.
Some 12 million Africans were forcibly transported by traders from European countries between the 16th and 19th centuries and enslaved on plantations that generated enormous wealth at the cost of their suffering.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said the UN resolution had created a new opportunity for a serious dialogue on reparations, noting that the effects of slavery are still felt in Africa, the Caribbean, and among the African diaspora around the world.
Mahama told delegates from more than 80 countries: "We are here because recognition creates responsibility, and because the enduring consequences of this history still demand thoughtful, coordinated and sustained international engagement."