The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on the international community to deepen dialogue on reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
Speaking at the opening of the UN High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice at UN Headquarters in New York, on Tuesday, he said the gathering offered a moment for the international community to reflect together on the historical realities of the transatlantic slave trade and its enduring legacy.
Mr Ablakwa noted that the slave trade reduced millions of Africans to commodities and altered the course of development across continents, adding that the consequences of the system continue to shape global inequalities and social outcomes.
“The legacies of slavery remain visible in contemporary structures of exclusion and disparity,” he added.
He said governments, scholars and civil society organisations must continue to document and preserve historical evidence, including archival records, testimonies and material artefacts.
The Minister added that the meeting affirmed their shared commitment to justice, dignity and equality, while also creating space for further dialogue on pathways towards reparatory justice and restoration for Africans and people of African descent.
The UN High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice at the UN Headquarters in New York is a gathering convened as part of Ghana’s push to table the resolution at the General Assembly on 25th March 2026.
The event brought together dignitaries including the Minister of State and Chief of the Civil House of the Republic of Angola, H.E. Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca, Chef de Cabinet of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Courtenay Rattray, Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Council, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, Member States on the United Nations, representatives from the academia and civil society organisations.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
