Mahama sets up three global panels for addressing issues of reparations

President John Dramani Mahama has announced the establishment of three high-level international panels to drive the next phase of implementation of the landmark United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

The President made the announcement during the opening of the High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps to the landmark UN Resolution, currently being held in Accra and attended by several African and Caribbean leaders, legal experts, scholars and advocates for reparatory justice.

The three newly established bodies are the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, the Expert Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Artefacts, and the Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice.

According to President Mahama, the panels will serve as key pillars in advancing international efforts aimed at addressing the enduring consequences of slavery, colonial exploitation and historical injustices suffered by people of African descent.

The Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice will comprise Heads of State, Heads of Government, eminent leaders and influential public figures tasked with providing strategic direction and political leadership for the global reparations agenda.

Members of the panel include President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. of Liberia, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados.

President Mahama explained that the panel would help shape international consensus and mobilise political support for policies aimed at achieving restorative justice and reconciliation.

The Expert Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Artefacts will focus on facilitating the return of cultural treasures, historical archives, sacred objects and artefacts taken from African communities during the periods of slavery and colonial rule.

The initiative is expected to support ongoing efforts by African countries and institutions to recover cultural heritage currently held in foreign museums, galleries and private collections.

Meanwhile, the Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice will bring together leading jurists, legal scholars and international law experts to examine legal pathways for pursuing reparatory justice within existing international legal frameworks.

The panel will explore mechanisms for advancing claims and recommendations grounded in principles of human dignity, accountability and international justice.

The two-day conference has attracted several prominent global leaders, including President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. of Liberia, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua of Equatorial Guinea, President Carlos Vila Nova of São Tomé and Príncipe and Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, Azouz Nasri.

The summit seeks to build momentum following the historic adoption of United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250 and to develop practical strategies for addressing the enduring social, economic and cultural consequences of the transatlantic slave trade.

President Mahama indicated that the CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice would serve as a valuable foundation for the work of the newly established panels.

The CARICOM framework advocates measures including formal apologies, debt cancellation, educational initiatives, technology transfer, public health support, cultural restoration and programmes aimed at addressing the developmental legacies of slavery.

Reflecting on the significance of the UN resolution, President Mahama said its adoption was never intended to be the final destination but rather the beginning of a broader journey toward truth, accountability and healing.

He recalled that on September 25, 2025, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and announced Ghana’s intention to sponsor a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

Six months later, on March 25, 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250 with the support of 123 member states.

“I express profound appreciation to all 123 member states and the many institutions, scholars, civil society organisations, faith leaders, activists and advocates who made this adoption possible,” President Mahama stated.

The President stressed that Ghana’s leadership on the issue is rooted in both historical responsibility and moral conviction.

“For Ghana, this effort is not just an exercise in diplomacy. It is a moral obligation rooted in our history, identity and responsibility,” he said.

“We do not seek to reopen old wounds. We seek to heal those wounds. We do not seek division. We seek justice, understanding and reconciliation grounded in truth.”

He noted that Ghana remains one of the most significant historical locations connected to the transatlantic slave trade, with sites such as Elmina, Cape Coast, Assin Manso and Osu serving as enduring reminders of the suffering experienced by millions of Africans.

“Today, the descendants of those journeys have returned, not in chains, but as presidents, prime ministers, scholars, jurists, activists, historians and citizens of the world,” he said.

Speaking at the conference, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia paid tribute to victims of slavery and colonial atrocities, as well as generations of descendants who continue to seek justice and recognition.

She reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to restorative justice and referenced her country’s efforts to secure recognition and redress for the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908.

In a televised address to participants, President Emmanuel Macron of France cautioned against viewing reparations solely through the lens of financial compensation.

According to him, meaningful justice for historical wrongs must also include truth-telling, education, memorialisation, historical recognition and the restitution of cultural heritage.

The Accra conference is expected to produce recommendations that will guide future international action on reparatory justice and strengthen global cooperation in addressing one of humanity’s most enduring historical injustices