President John Dramani Mahama has called on the global community to support a landmark United Nations resolution that declares the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, as part of broader efforts to advance healing and reparative justice.
Delivering a statement at the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Mr. Mahama stressed the importance of truth, remembrance, and collective action.
“Today marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” he said, noting that the occasion honours “the approximately 13 million African men, women and children who were enslaved over the course of several centuries.”
The President underscored the need to preserve history through education and memorialisation, highlighting sites such as the Ark of Return at the UN Headquarters as symbols of remembrance and reflection.
“Through these activities, we do more than remember. We document and educate; we gain a greater perspective; we find the delicate balance of learning from history so we do not repeat it, while leaving the pain behind,” he stated.
Speaking on behalf of the African Group, President Mahama said Ghana’s push for the resolution followed a commitment made during the 80th session of the General Assembly in 2025.
“In September last year, at the 80th session of the General Assembly, I stated that Ghana would move a motion to declare the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity,” he recalled.
He explained that the draft resolution was the result of extensive consultations involving African institutions, countries, scholars, and legal experts.
“This draft resolution is the result of months of consultation and consensus-building … with the sole aim of achieving a united front and grounding the outcome in truth, compassion, and moral conscience, remembrance, education, and dialogue,” he said.
President Mahama emphasised that adopting the resolution would help guard against historical amnesia while promoting justice and reconciliation.
“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice. The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting,” he added.
He concluded by urging member states to take a principled stance, invoking the words of former US President Theodore Roosevelt and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“On this beautiful day in March, we are called to stand on the right side of history. Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.”
“Let our vote on this resolution restore their dignity and humanity.”