The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, welcomed the support for document A/80/L.48, spearheaded by Ghana, a country he also congratulated for its important leadership.

In a statement, Youssouf expressed that it reflects Africa’s long-standing and principled call for the full recognition of the slave trade and its enduring consequences.

“This historic decision marks an important step towards truth, justice, and healing, and reinforces the urgent need to address the enduring legacy of slavery,” he emphasized.

The African Union reiterated its call for comprehensive recognition of the historical and contemporary repercussions of slavery, including the pursuit of restorative justice, in accordance with Agenda 2063 and relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.

The continental organization remains committed to working with the United Nations, member states, and partners to boost historical justice and ensure that such crimes are neither forgotten nor repeated, the statement concluded.

In a historic event, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that characterizes the transatlantic slave trade and the racialized enslavement of Africans as “the most serious crime against humanity” in history.

The text was adopted with 123 votes in favor, three against (Argentina, Israel, and the United States), and 52 abstentions, including those of virtually all countries of the so-called Western bloc, including Japan.

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