African and Caribbean nations call for formal apology for transatlantic slavery

French President Emmanuel Macron also gave a virtual note at the conference, where he recognised that enslaved people were "dehumanised and treated as goods". However, he cautioned against reducing reparations for slavery to financial compensation alone, saying they should not be seen as a "cheque written to bring the story to a close". The UN General Assembly vote took place in March, with 123 votes in favour, and three votes - the United States, Israel and Argentina - against declaring the transatlantic slave trade a crime against humanity. 52 countries, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states abstained.Unlike UN Security Council resolutions, those from the General Assembly are not legally binding.The UK has long rejected calls to pay reparations, saying today's institutions cannot be held responsible for past wrongs."No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant than another," UK ambassador to the UN James Kariuki had then said.The US ambassador to the UN echoed this, saying his country did not "recognise a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred".