African and Caribbean leaders call for payments, debt cancellation, formal apologies over slavery

African and Caribbean leaders, at a conference in Ghana, have adopted a 19-point reparations plan demanding financial compensation, debt cancellation, and formal apologies from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade. The plan, developed by the African Union and the CARICOM Commission on Reparatory Justice, also calls for a Global Reparations Fund, the return of looted artifacts, and reforms to international financial institutions. This coordinated push for reparations, following a UN resolution recognizing slavery as a grave crime against humanity, will be presented at the next UN General Assembly. While acknowledging historical suffering, French President Emmanuel Macron stated reparations should not be seen as a final resolution.

Ghana is hosting a conference to advance a UN resolution that declares slavery the "gravest crime against humanity." The conference aims to further the goals of this resolution. While the article mentions the slave trade being reenacted on Juneteenth and leaders demanding reparations, these specific actions and demands are not detailed within the provided content. The core information is Ghana's role in hosting the conference to promote the UN's stance on slavery.

Pressure is mounting on France to address reparatory justice for its history of enslavement, highlighted by the recent inauguration of the Mast of Fraternity and Memory in Nantes, a former major slave port. This monument, conceived by descendants of enslaved people, signifies a growing movement for acknowledgment and action. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, faces calls for concrete announcements on reparatory justice amidst rising concerns about racism and the upcoming presidential election. France's abstention from a UN vote condemning the transatlantic slave trade as a grave crime against humanity has drawn criticism, with some viewing it as a significant diplomatic misstep. The mast's creation and planned replication in other global locations underscore the international push for reparatory justice.