Ghana to Host Global Reparatory Justice Conference After UN Declares Trans-Atlantic Slavery ‘Gravest Crime’

Ghana will host a High-Level Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice from June 17–19, 2026, in a major move following the United Nations’ adoption of a landmark resolution declaring the Trans-Atlantic enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity”.  The three-day conference in Accra is expected to bring together heads of state, African Union officials, Caribbean leaders, legal experts, historians, and civil society actors to chart concrete actions on reparations for centuries of slavery and colonial exploitation.

UN Resolution Sets the Stage

The UN resolution, passed earlier this year, formally acknowledged the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and its enduring legacies as a crime against humanity of unparalleled scale. It called on member states to establish frameworks for reparatory justice, including restitution, rehabilitation, and guarantees of non-repetition. Ghana’s selection as host reinforces its position as a leading voice on Pan-African affairs and diaspora engagement, building on initiatives such as the 2019 “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return.”

Focus of the Accra Conference

According to preliminary details from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference will:

• Develop a unified African-Caribbean position on reparations claims and modalities.
• Explore legal and financial mechanisms for restitution from former colonial powers and complicit institutions.
• Address healing and memory, including memorialization, education, and return of stolen cultural artifacts.
• Draft an “Accra Action Plan” to guide continental and diaspora advocacy at the UN, AU, and other multilateral bodies.                                                                                                                              Expected Outcomes                                                                                                            Delegates hope to move beyond declarations to binding commitments. Key proposals likely on the table include debt cancellation, establishment of a reparations fund, technology transfer, and formal apologies with legal implications. The conference will be held under the theme: “Advancing Justice: Repairing the Past, Reclaiming the Future.”Dignitaries from CARICOM, the African Union, the UN, and the diaspora are expected to attend.                                                                            By: Stella Snel , Source: 3NewsGH