President John Dramani Mahama has called on the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a landmark resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity.
Addressing the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Mr Mahama said the move would represent a critical step toward justice, healing and global remembrance.
He noted that approximately 13 million Africans were forcibly taken and enslaved over several centuries, stressing the importance of preserving their memory through education, historical documentation and memorialisation.
“We do more than remember. We document and educate; we gain a greater perspective; we find the delicate balance of learning from history so we do not repeat it,” he stated.
The President highlighted global efforts to honour victims of slavery, referencing memorials such as the Ark of Return located at the UN Headquarters in New York.
He recalled that the international day of remembrance was established in 2007 following a UN resolution, describing it as part of incremental global progress toward acknowledging historical injustices.
Speaking on behalf of the African Group, Mr Mahama revealed that Ghana had initiated a draft resolution titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.”
According to him, the proposal is the outcome of months of consultations among African nations, scholars, and international stakeholders aimed at building consensus around truth, justice and reparative measures.
“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice. The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting,” he said.
The President also drew on the words of former US President Theodore Roosevelt and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. to emphasise the moral imperative of taking a stand against injustice.
He urged member states to support the resolution, stressing that the moment called for decisive action.
“On this beautiful day in March, we are called to stand on the right side of history,” he concluded.
“Let our vote on this resolution restore their dignity and humanity.”
