African Lawyers back President Mahama’s UN push to declare slavery ‘gravest crime’
The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) has endorsed a United Nations resolution to formally recognise the trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest” crime against humanity, backing an initiative to be tabled by President John Dramani Mahama.
In a statement issued on March 18, 2026, PALU said: “We support the proposed resolution of qualification of this atrocity as the gravest crime against humanity, emphasising that this qualification is descriptive, an articulation of truth, rather than a hierarchical assessment.”
The motion, which is expected to be presented by President Mahama at the United Nations General Assembly, seeks to advance reparations and reparative justice for Africa and the diaspora, particularly in relation to the impact of colonisation, the transatlantic slave trade and apartheid.
According to the union, the resolution—scheduled for debate next Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to coincide with the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Transatlantic Trafficking of Africans—represents “a historic opportunity to reposition the international debate on memory, historical truth, and reparatory justice”.
PALU said the motion reflects the widely recognised scale, duration and enduring impact of racialised chattel enslavement, describing it as an absolute crime “comparable to no other but itself”.
It added that it “stands in solidarity with Ghana, acting on behalf of the AU, in advancing this historic initiative”, noting that the move presents an opportunity to strengthen African unity and reaffirm a shared commitment to honouring historical memory and pursuing justice.
The union further welcomed growing cooperation between the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including the Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent.
Calling for broad international backing, PALU urged all United Nations member states—particularly those in Africa and the Caribbean—to vote in favour of the resolution.
“A unified vote in support of this resolution would signal collective strength and a shared determination to see the pursuit of reparations for Africans and people of African descent through to its conclusion.
“An abstention or vote against this resolution would place Africa, and the broader international community on the wrong side of history. It will perpetuate the distortion of historical truths and betray the will and aspirations of survivors, and people, for generations to come,” it said.
The statement stressed that adopting the resolution would not only serve as a moral and historical imperative but also help lay the foundation for long-term progress, restore trust, promote healing and strengthen global solidarity with affected communities.
PALU also underscored the need for justice and accountability as essential pillars for development across Africa and the diaspora, adding that meaningful reconciliation must be grounded in truth-telling and recognition of past injustices.
It noted that the erasure of African history during and after slavery had caused lasting harm across legal, cultural and economic systems, and called for renewed efforts to address these impacts.
The union concluded that the trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans constituted a defining rupture in world history, shaping global systems and generating wealth that underpinned modern economic structures.
“As the world's first global industrial enterprise, it generated the wealth that fuelled the rise of the current global infrastructure and fundamentally transformed political, legal, and economic systems across continents,” it stated.
