Macron to address reparations conference in Accra
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to address the High-Level Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra from June 17 to 19, 2026, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed.
Mr Macron has accepted an invitation from President John Dramani Mahama to speak at the conference. Mr Ablakwa, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, June 9 2026, said the French President is expected to support dialogue on historical injustices against Africans and present France's position on reparatory justice.
The planned engagement follows remarks made by Mr Macron during an event marking the 25th anniversary of France's law recognising slavery as a crime against humanity. At that event, he outlined plans for greater engagement on issues of historical accountability and justice.
President Mahama welcomed Mr Macron's stance and described his approach to the matter as "honest, open, conciliatory and exemplary leadership".
On March 25, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Ghana-led resolution that received the backing of 123 member states. The resolution called on member states to engage constructively on reparatory justice and recognised the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
The conference, which will be held under the auspices of President Mahama in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Reparations, is expected to bring together world leaders, foreign affairs ministers, academics, historians, jurists, activists and representatives of international organisations.
Participants will discuss the next phase of the reparations agenda through three thematic panels on Global Advisory, Restitution and Legal Pathways. Discussions are expected to cover legal options, accountability measures, restitution of cultural heritage and institutional reforms.
A special Juneteenth commemoration will take place on June 19, 2026, at Christiansborg Castle in Osu, a historic site associated with the transatlantic slave trade.
Ghana and its international partners have indicated their readiness to engage France on a range of reparatory justice issues, including official apologies, compensation, guarantees against future recurrence, healing initiatives, the return of artefacts and the repeal of laws linked to slavery.
