The United Nations General Assembly has voted to recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, a move advocates hope will pave the way for healing and justice.

The resolution - proposed by Ghana - called for this designation, while also urging UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund. It does not mention a specific amount of money.

The proposal was adopted with 123 votes in favour and three against - the United States, Israel and Argentina.

Countries like the UK have long rejected calls to pay reparations, saying today’s institutions cannot be held responsible for past wrongs.

  • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOP
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    2 hours ago

    Any “senior MP” is guaranteed to have been installed quite a while ago by the West. Ghana certainly wouldn’t be on the hook for reparations. In no way did (what’s currently) Ghana gain any kind of generational wealth from slavery. A few warlord mercenaries backed by European powers certainly did but that’s basically the same as a few corrupt people benefiting from neo-colonialism.