UN General Assembly Labels Transatlantic Slave Trade the Gravest Crime Against Humanity

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on March 25, 2026, classifying the transatlantic slave trade as the "gravest crime against humanity," with 123 states voting in favor, three against, and 52 abstaining. The resolution, introduced by Ghana, passed amid applause at UN headquarters in New York on a day that coincided with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The United States, Israel, and Argentina cast the three votes against the text. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were among the 52 abstaining nations. The resolution calls on all UN member states to work toward reparations for the suffering caused by the slave trade and demands the "immediate and unhindered return" of cultural assets and works of art to their countries of origin. The text justifies its designation by citing "the profound break in world history, its scale, its duration, its systemic character, its brutality and its consequences that continue to this day." The resolution carries no legal force.

European seafaring powers became involved in the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th century onward, organizing the trade of millions of people from West and Central Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean in what became known as the triangular trade. According to data from the SlaveVoyages project at Rice University in the United States, approximately 12.5 million people were enslaved in Africa and transported to South and North America and the Caribbean between the 16th and 19th centuries, with estimates suggesting between one and two million did not survive the crossing. Great Britain enacted a ban on the slave trade on March 25, 1807, after which the other participating states abandoned the practice by the middle of the 19th century. Slavery was officially prohibited in all US states in 1865. The UN human rights convention banned slavery worldwide in 1948.

123 (votes in favor) — states supporting the slave trade resolution

In favor: 123, Abstentions: 52, Against: 3

Guterres condemns racist ideology used to justify slavery UN Secretary-General António Guterres offered his support for the resolution, describing the transatlantic slave trade in stark terms. „The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity that struck at the core of our humanity, tore families apart and destroyed communities.” — António Guterres via 20 Minuten Guterres added that those who promoted and benefited from slavery constructed a racist ideology to justify their actions, turning prejudice into what he called pseudoscience. His remarks framed the resolution as a matter of confronting a foundational historical wrong whose consequences remain visible today. The vote took place on the anniversary of Great Britain's 1807 ban on the slave trade, lending additional symbolic weight to the proceedings. Ghana, which in 1957 became the first country on the African continent to gain independence from colonial powers, had already in 2023 called on African states to jointly pursue reparations for the injustice of the slave trade and colonialism.

Washington rejects reparations claim, calls resolution "highly problematic" The United States mounted the most pointed opposition to the resolution, with its representative delivering a pointed rebuke of the text's scope and intent. US representative Dan Negrea described the resolution as "highly problematic in a number of ways" and reminded the General Assembly that the United Nations was founded to ensure international peace and security, not to "advance specific interests and agendas" or "establish international niche days." „The USA would not recognize a right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they were committed.” — Dan Negrea via ZEIT ONLINE The Trump administration has separately pursued efforts to revise how slavery is presented in public spaces, including removing related signs and exhibits from several national parks, according to reporting cited by ZEIT ONLINE. Washington's opposition placed it alongside Israel and Argentina as the only three states to vote against the measure outright. The abstentions from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland indicated a degree of hesitation among some Western nations, though none joined the United States in outright rejection.

Resolution seen as first step toward historical justice Advocates described the resolution as a landmark first step toward historical accountability, even as its non-binding character limits its immediate practical effect. The text's call for reparations represents a significant political statement, though member states face no legal obligation to act on it. The resolution also addresses the question of cultural restitution, calling for the free and unhindered return of cultural assets and works of art to their countries of origin — a demand that has been a persistent point of contention between African nations and Western institutions. Ghana's role in introducing the resolution reflects its broader diplomatic push on behalf of the African continent on issues of colonial-era redress. The resolution passed in the General Assembly's 80th session, underscoring the continued relevance of historical accountability debates within multilateral forums.