Addis Ababa: Mahama rallies AU support for UN landmark move on slavery

President John Dramani Mahama has announced Ghana’s decision to table a resolution at the UN General Assembly seeking recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.

Speaking ahead of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Mahama described the move as a defining moral step that demands continental backing.

“Ghana has initiated the process to table a resolution at the UN General Assembly in March this year, seeking global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity,” he told African leaders.

He stressed that the initiative goes beyond symbolism.

“This is not symbolic diplomacy, it’s a necessary moral clarification of history,” he said, urging the Assembly to lend “full and unflinching support to this historic resolution.”

According to the President, a zero draft of the proposed resolution will soon be circulated to all member states to enable consultations and coordinated advocacy ahead of the March session.

“The evidence is compelling, the legal foundations are firm, the moral imperative is undeniable,” Mahama stated, signalling confidence in both the historical record and international legal arguments underpinning the proposal.

He called on African leaders to treat the moment as a continental turning point.

“And so let Addis Ababa 2026 mark a turning point,” he said. “Let it be said that in 2026 in Addis Ababa, Africa chose to honour its past and to define its future.”

Mahama framed the resolution as part of a broader strategy to translate historical memory into concrete policy action.

“Let it be said that we transformed memory into policy, that we converted the grievances of our past into a collective strategy, and that we turned our history into sovereign action,” he added.

He further urged African states not to delay action.

“Let us not defer justice, let us not postpone dignity, let us act, and let us act together.”

The proposed resolution, if adopted by the UN General Assembly, would seek formal global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, a designation with significant moral, historical and legal implications.

Ghana’s push is expected to spark diplomatic engagement among African states and within the broader international community as consultations begin ahead of the March deliberations.