Dignitaries arrive in Accra for reparatory justice summit

Presidents, prime ministers, and senior government officials from more than 80 countries have arrived in Accra for the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice, convened by President John Dramani Mahama.

The high-level gathering comes three months after the United Nations adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared the transatlantic enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity and called for renewed global efforts toward reparatory justice.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the arrival of the dignitaries in a post on X on Thursday, describing the conference as a major milestone in advancing international action on reparations.

Among those attending are the Presidents of Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Vice Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, the Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, and ministers from over 80 countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed his participation and is expected to arrive in Accra for the summit.

“The Presidents of Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, São Tomé and Principe, Prime Minister of Barbados, Vice Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Speaker of the Algerian Parliament and Ministers from over 80 countries arrive in Ghana for the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice convened by President John Dramani Mahama,” Mr Ablakwa wrote.

The conference is expected to chart a path for implementing the landmark UN resolution by transforming broad international commitments into concrete actions and accountability mechanisms.

As African Union Champion for Reparatory Justice, President Mahama is leading efforts to build a coordinated framework that connects Africa, the Caribbean and the global African diaspora in pursuit of historical restitution.

Ghana’s immediate priorities include establishing multi-stakeholder mechanisms to shape the legal and policy foundations for reparations. These include an Advisory Panel, an Expert Panel on Cultural Restitution and a Legal Panel that will help develop the architecture needed to advance the reparatory agenda.

The country is also spearheading the drafting of a post-adoption framework designed to strengthen collaboration among governments, institutions and diaspora communities.

The summit comes at a time of growing international attention on historical accountability. In May this year, President Macron publicly acknowledged the need for reparations linked to slavery for the first time during commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of France’s Taubira law, which recognised the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.

The Accra conference is expected to build momentum towards a coordinated global response that moves discussions on reparatory justice from advocacy to implementation.