The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) has cautioned that any country choosing to abstain or vote against Ghana’s proposed UN resolution on the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans risks being judged harshly by history.
Championed by John Dramani Mahama, the resolution seeks to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
In a strongly worded statement dated March 18, 2026, PALU described the transatlantic slave trade not as an isolated historical event, but as a “foundational rupture” that reshaped global systems.
“The trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans was not merely an isolated crime, but a foundational rupture that reshaped the world for all peoples,” the statement emphasised. “It generated the wealth that fueled the rise of the current global infrastructure and fundamentally transformed political, legal, and economic systems.”
PALU stressed that recognising the atrocity at the United Nations is not about ranking crimes, but about articulating historical truth. Such recognition is crucial for justice, accountability, and reconciliation, particularly in light of the continued socio-economic and cultural impacts on African and diaspora communities.
“For these reasons, an abstention or vote against this resolution would place our continent, and the broader international community, on the wrong side of history,” PALU warned.
“The adoption of this resolution is not only a moral and historical imperative, but also an opportunity to foster healing and build genuine global solidarity.”
