“History of Slavery”, William Blake (1860)
The UN General Assembly approved a resolution that declares the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized slavery as the “most serious crime against humanity” and defends historical reparations, in a vote in which Portugal abstained.
O slave trade It was declared the “most serious crime against humanity” by the UN General Assembly.
The text, presented to the Assembly by Ghana and co-sponsored by dozens of UN Member States, received 123 votes in favor, three against and 52 abstentions (including from Portugal) of the 193 UN member states.
They voted against United States of America, Israel and Argentina.
In addition to Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain and France – European powers that got involved in the transatlantic slave trade – are among the countries that abstained.
Among the States that co-sponsored the resolution are Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Among the other members of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), also Brazil and Timor-Leste voted in favor.
The approved resolution urges UN Member States to consider a full and formal apology by the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund.
What type of repairs?
Request measures to restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, guarantees of non-repetition and changes to laws, programs and services to combat racism and systemic discrimination.
Appeal to immediate and unhindered restitution of cultural property, art objects, monuments, museum pieces, artifacts, manuscripts and documents, and national archives that have spiritual, historical, cultural or other value to the countries of origin, free of charge.
The text, of a historical nature, classifies slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the most inhumane and lasting injustice against humanity due to its “disruption (…) scale, duration, systemic nature, brutality and lasting consequences”.
He also emphasizes the importance of addressing historical injustices affecting Africans and people of African descent in a way that promotes justice, human rights, dignity and healing, and argues “that reparations demands represent a concrete step towards remedying historical injustices”.
Unlike the UN Security Council, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but importantly reflect world opinion.
“Safeguard against forgetting”
“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm the truth and follow a path towards healing and restorative justice,” said the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahamaone of the main creators of the resolution, before the vote.
“The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against oblivion,” he argued, adding: “Let it be recorded that, when history called, We did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery”.
The UK’s acting ambassador to the UN, James Kariukistated that the history of slavery and “its devastating consequences and lasting impacts” should never be forgotten.
However, the United Kingdom abstained because, firstly, it “strongly supports the idea that one should not create a hierarchy of historical atrocities“, warning of the risk of minimizing the experiences of communities whose trauma and suffering “were felt with the same intensity”.
Furthermore, countries like the United Kingdom have long rejected the payment of reparations, claiming that Today’s institutions cannot be held responsible for past mistakes.
In this sense, Kariuki declared that “there is no obligation to repair historical acts that, at the time they were committed, did not constitute violations of international law”.
In passing the resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of addressing the historical wrongs of slavery.
The document encourages voluntary contributions to promote education about the transatlantic slave trade and calls on the African Union, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States to collaborate with UN bodies and other nations “in support of reparatory justice and reconciliation”.
