Mahama to Submit Landmark Slave Trade Resolution at UN in March
President John Dramani Mahama to champion global recognition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as a crime against humanity, advancing Africa’s reparations agenda at the UN in March.
- President John Dramani Mahama will present a landmark resolution at the UN General Assembly in March
- The AU has established key structures
- frica’s reparations agenda has been advanced through international engagements
President John Dramani Mahama is set to present a historic resolution to the United Nations General Assembly in March, calling for global recognition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.
A statement from the Presidency said President Mahama made the announcement on Sunday, February 15, while delivering his report to the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in his role as the African Union (AU) Champion for Advancing Justice and Reparations.
The AU Assembly has already endorsed President Mahama’s draft resolution, which builds on efforts launched at the 80th UN General Assembly session in September 2025 to advance Africa’s reparatory justice agenda worldwide.
Advancing Africa’s reparations agenda
President Mahama highlighted the progress made in establishing AU structures to pursue reparations for the legacies of transatlantic slavery, colonialism, and apartheid, including:
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The AU Coordination Team on Reparations
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The AU Committee of Experts on Reparations
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A Reference Group of Legal Experts
He described the AU’s declaration of 2025 as the Year of Justice for Africans through Reparations as a turning point, emphasizing both commemoration and strategic international commitment to justice.
The President urged AU member states to form national reparations commissions, engage with historical perpetrator states, and support the proposed Decade of Reparations to maintain momentum beyond 2025. “Reparatory justice will not be handed to us. Like political independence, it must be asserted, pursued, and secured through determination and unity,” he said.
Global engagement and recognition
Throughout 2025, the AU worked with UNESCO and the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to ensure Africa’s reparations agenda influenced discussions on cultural restitution, historical truth-telling, and emerging issues, including artificial intelligence.
Major international gatherings—from Accra to Madrid, culminating in the 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé have, according to President Mahama, helped reshape the global narrative, framing reparations as tools for justice and development rather than merely retrospective claims.
He called on African leaders to act boldly so they are remembered “not for hesitation, but for advancing justice, restoring dignity, securing restitution, and shaping a future grounded in truth.”
President Mahama’s presentation of the resolution at the UN General Assembly in March is expected to mark a historic milestone in Africa’s long-standing pursuit of international recognition and redress for historical injustices.
