President John Dramani Mahama will present a landmark resolution to the United Nations General Assembly in March, seeking global recognition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime against humanity. The announcement was made during his report to the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in his role as the African Union Champion for Advancing the Cause of Justice and the Payment of Reparations.
The draft resolution, which has already been adopted by the AU Assembly, marks a major milestone in Africa’s reparatory justice agenda. “All peoples of African descent have been waiting for this day. The truth cannot be buried. The legal foundations are sound; the moral imperative is undeniable,” Mahama stated. The resolution was first introduced during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2025 and reflects a year-long effort to elevate Africa’s call for reparations on the global stage.
Mahama highlighted progress in establishing continental mechanisms to pursue reparations for the legacies of transatlantic slavery, colonialism, and apartheid. These include the AU Coordination Team on Reparations, the AU Committee of Experts on Reparations, and a Reference Group of Legal Experts. “This marked a historic turning point in the life of our Union, not as a symbolic or commemorative act, but as a strategic and international commitment,” he emphasized, referencing the AU’s designation of 2025 as the Year of Justice for Africans through Reparations.
The president called on African states to establish national reparations commissions, engage formally with historical perpetrator nations, and support the proposed Decade of Reparations to ensure sustained continental commitment beyond commemorative observances. “Reparatory justice will not be handed to us. Like political independence, it must be asserted, pursued and secured through determination and unity,” he asserted.
Throughout 2025, the AU engaged with international bodies such as UNESCO and the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, ensuring Africa’s reparations agenda influences global discussions on cultural restitution, historical truth-telling, and emerging areas, including the impact of artificial intelligence on historical narratives.
Major continental gatherings, A320 from Accra to Madrid, culminating in the 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé, have reframed the global narrative, positioning reparations not as backward-looking claims, but as forward-focused instruments for justice, dignity, and development. Mahama urged Africa’s current generation of leaders to be remembered for courage in advancing justice, restoring dignity, securing restitution, and shaping a future grounded in truth.
The March presentation to the UN General Assembly will represent a pivotal moment in Africa’s campaign for international recognition and redress of historical injustices against African peoples.
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