UN passes resolution naming slave trade ‘gravest crime against humanity’

Resolution on transatlantic slavery supported by 123 countries, while three opposed it – including the US and Israel.A ⁠United Nations resolution, proposed by Ghana, to recognise transatlantic slavery as the “gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations, has been adopted despite pushback from Europe and the United States.At a UN General Assembly (UNGA) vote on Wednesday, 123 countries supported the resolution, which ⁠is not legally binding but carries political weight, while three opposed it, including the US and Israel, and 52 abstained, including the United Kingdom and European Union countries.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4More than 600 British Empire-era artefacts stolen from Bristol Museumlist 2 of 4Activist leads tour through ‘architectural crime scene’ of Cape Town’s pastlist 3 of 4Portuguese Empire: Ports and Profitslist 4 of 4Behind the myths of the British Empire: Nigel Biggar and Mehdi Hasanend of listGhana said the resolution ⁠was needed because the consequences of slavery, which saw at least 12.5 million Africans abducted and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries, persist today, including racial disparities.Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, a key architect of the resolution, said the resolution’s passing was “a route to healing and reparative justice”.“The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting … Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.”Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Ablakwa, said the resolution called for accountability and could pave the way for a “reparative ‌framework”.“History ‌does not disappear when ignored, truth does not weaken when delayed, crime does not rot … and justice does not expire with time,” Ablakwa said.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UNGA that “far bolder action” was required from more states to confront historical injustices.