Ghana is hosting a three-day conference in Accra titled Next Steps, marking the first major international gathering since the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution classifying the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Over 80 countries are represented at the event, which began on Wednesday and brings together heads of state, civil society leaders, legal experts and historians to advance reparatory justice. Attendees include African Union Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and presidents John Mahama of Ghana, Joseph Boakai of Liberia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and Emmanuel Macron of France. A key session will be held on 19 June at Osu Castle, a former Danish slave-trade fortress, to commemorate Juneteenth. The conference aims to convert political momentum into institutional action by developing a global framework for reparatory justice and establishing international panels on restitution. The UN resolution, adopted nearly three months ago, passed with 123 votes in favour, while the US, Israel and Argentina voted against it and 52 nations, including the UK and all EU members, abstained. Organisers say the resolution shifts the global response from symbolic commemoration to truth-seeking and reconciliation. It calls on member states to engage in inclusive, good-faith dialogue and to ensure prompt return of cultural properties to their countries of origin. The event builds on earlier efforts like the 1993 Abuja Proclamation, which demanded reparations for colonialism and slavery. Since the resolution, French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly used the term "reparations" in reference to France's role in enslavement, a shift from previous administrations. Pope Leo XIV also recently apologised for the Vatican's historical role in legitimising slavery. Kyeretwie Osei of the AU's Economic, Social and Cultural Council said the global discourse on reparatory justice is at its most promising point. Liliane Umubyeyi of African Futures Lab said the conference could broaden the reparations coalition beyond Africa and the Caribbean.
The same European nations that abstained on the UN resolution are now being asked to lead in reparatory justice talks they have historically resisted. France's sudden embrace of the term "reparations" stands in contrast to its past reluctance, raising questions about the depth of its commitment. If the conference is to move beyond symbolism, it must hold these states to measurable actions, not statements. The presence of EU representatives without clear mandates for restitution weakens the push for binding outcomes.
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