Mahama Travels to New York for UN Speech on Slavery Remembrance
Mahama to Present AU-Backed Position on Slavery as a Crime Against Humanity
- President Mahama will deliver a keynote speech at the United Nations
- He is expected to present Ghana’s stance—backed by the African Union—supporting a resolution to declare slavery
- The visit will include a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of enslaved Africans
President John Dramani Mahama will depart Accra on Monday, March 23, 2026, for New York City to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to deliver a major address on slavery remembrance and reparatory justice.
The trip is part of Ghana’s involvement in commemorating the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the visit aims to push forward global discussions on reparatory justice.
In a statement, he said President Mahama “will convene and deliver the keynote address at a High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice at the United Nations Headquarters,” under the theme: “Reparatory Justice for the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans.”
He noted that the gathering will assemble world leaders and top dignitaries to deliberate on the pressing issue of historical injustice.
President Mahama is also expected to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, where he will outline Ghana’s stance—endorsed by the African Union—on a significant resolution.
The resolution aims to formally recognise “the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.”
During his visit, the President will also attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York in honour of enslaved Africans.
In addition to his UN engagements, he will travel to Pennsylvania to deliver a keynote lecture at Lincoln University and meet with the Ghanaian community at Temple University.
