President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will table a historic resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.
Speaking ahead of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, the President described the initiative as a defining moral step that requires strong continental backing.
“Ghana has initiated the process to table a resolution at the UN General Assembly in March, seeking global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity,” he told African leaders.
Mahama stressed that the move is far more than symbolic diplomacy.
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“This is not symbolic diplomacy; it is a necessary moral clarification of history,” he said, urging member states to give “full and unflinching support” to the proposed motion.
According to him, a zero draft of the proposal will soon be circulated to enable consultations and coordinated advocacy ahead of the March session, as part of efforts to advance the transatlantic slave trade resolution.
“The evidence is compelling, the legal foundations are firm, and the moral imperative is undeniable,” Mahama stated, expressing confidence in the international legal arguments supporting the transatlantic slave trade resolution.
He called on African leaders to treat the moment as a turning point for the continent.
“And so let Addis Ababa 2026 mark a turning point,” he said. “Let it be said that in 2026, Africa chose to honour its past and to define its future through the transatlantic slave trade resolution.”
The President further framed the initiative as part of a broader strategy to transform historical memory into concrete policy action.
“Let it be said that we transformed memory into policy, converted the grievances of our past into a collective strategy, and turned our history into sovereign action,” he added.
Urging African states not to delay justice, Mahama appealed for unity and urgency.
“Let us not defer justice, let us not postpone dignity, let us act, and let us act together in support of the transatlantic slave trade resolution,” he said.
If adopted, the resolution would formally designate the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, carrying major moral, historical, and legal significance.
Ghana’s initiative is expected to trigger extensive diplomatic engagement across Africa and within the wider international community as consultations intensify ahead of the March deliberations.