Countries must consider reparations for slave trade, UN committee says

A UN committee has stated that countries are legally obligated to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and implement measures to address ongoing racial discrimination. This guidance, released by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Monday, asserts that these obligations stem from the legally binding 1965 convention on racial discrimination. The committee views this as a significant change, moving away from historical responsibility debates that have often hindered reparations claims. The guidance emphasizes that the legal basis for these considerations is rooted in contemporary international law, not the legal standards of the era when the slave trade occurred.