UN General Assembly backs reparations for slavery’s lasting harms

A Ghana-led UN General Assembly resolution calling for reparations for slavery passed with 123 votes in favor, three against (Argentina, Israel, United States) and 52 abstentions. It labels the transatlantic slave trade as a gravest crime against humanity and urges concrete steps toward justice, healing, and addressing enduring racism; the United States questioned the legal basis for reparations. UN and African-led efforts, including the Second International Decade for People of African Descent and the African Union’s Decade of Reparations, were highlighted as frameworks to push for action and systemic change.