The President of Brazil Lula da Silva has announced Brazil’s support for Ghana’s United Nations resolution seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity and advancing the case for reparatory justice.
Speaking at the CELAC–Africa Summit in Bogotá, the Brazilian leader endorsed the initiative championed by President John Dramani Mahama, signalling growing international backing ahead of a planned vote at the UN General Assembly on 25 March 2026.
“Brazil supports the African Group at the United Nations in recognising human trafficking and the slave trade as among the gravest atrocities in human history,” President Lula said in an address to some heads of state and foreign ministers.
The resolution, which is expected to be tabled before the United Nations General Assembly, seeks to elevate the historical transatlantic slave trade to the status of one of the greatest crimes against humanity.
The initiative forms part of a broader campaign led by Ghana to secure global acknowledgment of historical injustices and build momentum for reparatory mechanisms.
The transatlantic slave trade, which spanned over four centuries, forcibly displaced an estimated 12 million Africans, with millions dying during capture, transit, and enslavement in the Americas.
Brazil was the largest single destination for enslaved Africans, accounting for a significant proportion of those trafficked across the Atlantic.
Ghana’s diplomatic effort has already secured backing from the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as well as expressions of support from several Asian states.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister says the coalition reflects a growing consensus among countries of the Global South on the need to address the enduring legacy of slavery.
Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, emphasised that the resolution is rooted in historical accountability rather than financial demands.
“The call for reparatory justice is about a shared recognition of the profound injustices inflicted on Africans and their descendants. It is not merely a pursuit of monetary compensation,” he said in an interview on Russian Television, RT.
President Mahama, who has been designated as the African Union’s champion on reparations, first outlined his intention to table the resolution during his address to the UN General Assembly in 2025.
The formal adoption would strengthen international legal and moral frameworks for addressing slavery’s long-term socio-economic consequences.
If passed, the resolution is expected to intensify global debate over reparations, including calls for former colonial powers and institutions linked to the slave trade to acknowledge responsibility and consider restitution measures.
For Ghana, the initiative also aligns with broader foreign policy agenda of historical redress, diaspora engagement, and positioning the country as a leading voice on issues of global justice.
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