President John Dramani Mahama has called on the global community to unite behind a historic United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, describing the moment as a moral test for the world.
Addressing the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, during the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the President of Ghana said the proposed resolution represents a crucial step toward confronting centuries of injustice and advancing reparatory justice.
Prez Mahama, who serves as the African Union Champion on Slavery and Reparations, framed the vote as a defining moment not only for governments but for humanity as a whole.
“Delegates, on this beautiful day in March, we’re called to stand on the right side of history,” he said.
“Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right.”
He stressed that the resolution is not merely symbolic but a pathway toward restoring dignity to millions of Africans and their descendants whose lives were shattered by slavery.
“For the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of the slave trade, and those who continue to suffer racial discrimination, let our vote on this resolution restore their dignity and humanity,” Mahama urged.
According to him, acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity would mark a collective commitment to truth, justice, and healing while sending a powerful message to future generations.
Mahama also emphasised that every step toward justice today helps shape the kind of world leaders will leave behind for their children, calling on nations to act with courage and moral clarity.
If adopted, the resolution is expected to strengthen global efforts toward reparations, historical accountability, and the fight against systemic racism issues that continue to resonate across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, and beyond.
With his closing appeal, Mahama framed the decision before the international community in stark historical terms: a chance to choose between indifference and justice and to ensure that when history looks back, it will record that the world did not remain silent.
