President John Dramani Mahama has called for a new phase of global engagement on reparatory justice, urging the international community to move beyond simply acknowledging historical injustices and focus on meaningful action, truth-telling, and reconciliation.
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Speaking at the opening of the Next Steps High-Level Consultative Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, President Mahama described the transatlantic slave trade as one of humanity’s gravest crimes, noting that its effects continue to shape institutions, societies, and inequalities across generations.
The President reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to advancing the global reparations agenda and announced the creation of three international panels dedicated to reparatory justice, restitution of cultural artefacts, and legal pathways for redress to guide the next phase of international engagement.
Mahama Calls for Collective Responsibility
President Mahama stressed that although the current generation did not perpetrate the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade, there remains a collective responsibility to confront its long-lasting consequences through justice, remembrance, dialogue, and international partnership.
He emphasized that reparatory justice should not be viewed as an effort to assign blame but as a pathway to healing historical wounds and promoting global equity.
World Leaders Gather in Accra
The conference attracted an unprecedented gathering of international leaders and dignitaries, including the Presidents of Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, the Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, ministers and senior officials from more than 80 countries, and former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
The gathering marks another milestone in the growing international conversation on reparatory justice and reinforces Ghana’s role in promoting healing, dialogue, and cooperation over the enduring legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
“Future Generations Will Judge Us by Results”
President Mahama urged world leaders to focus on practical outcomes rather than symbolic declarations.
“Future generations will judge us not by the resolutions we adopted, but by the progress we achieved,” he stated.
Why This Story Matters
Ghana has positioned itself at the forefront of Africa’s reparatory justice movement. The establishment of international panels and the broad participation from over 80 countries signal increasing global momentum toward addressing the historical and lasting impacts of slavery and colonialism.
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