UN Committee States Countries Legally Obliged to Consider Slave Trade Reparations
5 sources across 4 countries · United Kingdom · Hong Kong · Nigeria · South Africa
Who reported this
- The Guardian
- Reuters
- South China Morning Post
- Premium Times
- Business Day
What the colours mean
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- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has issued guidance stating that countries are legally obliged to consider reparations for the harms caused by the transatlantic slave trade. The committee asserts that these obligations stem from a legally binding 1965 convention on racial discrimination rather than the legal standards that existed during the slave trade. This approach is described as a paradigm shift intended to move away from debates over historical responsibility, which governments have frequently used to resist reparations claims.
The guidance argues that states remain responsible for addressing the continuing effects and structural inequalities of the slave trade regardless of whether the practice was illegal at the time. The committee notes that at least 12.5 million Africans were taken and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries in what it calls the largest forced displacement in history. Proposed reparatory measures include financial compensation, official apologies, opening archives, revising public memorials, and establishing independent truth commissions.
While the resolution received support from 123 Member States, the US, Argentina, and Israel voted against it, while 52 countries, including Britain, Portugal, and Spain, abstained. Ghana introduced the resolution and called for funds to be used for educational endowments and skills training rather than for individual leaders. Pela Boker Wilson, a committee expert from Liberia, stated that the goal is to move beyond expressions of regret toward concrete action to affirm the dignity of victims.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- This report emphasized the need for transformative measures and the specific legal principle of intertemporality used by states to avoid claims.
- Centre
- These reports focused on the legal obligations and the specific voting outcomes of the UN General Assembly.
- Centre-right
- These reports highlighted the arguments of opponents who believe states should not be held responsible for historical crimes.
Sources
- Centre-right Business Day: UN committee says states must consider reparations for slave trade
- Centre Premium Times: Countries obligated to consider repatriation for transatlantic slave trade – UN Committee
- Centre Reuters: UN committee says countries must consider reparations for slave trade - Reuters
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Countries must consider reparations for slave trade, UN committee says
- Centre-left The Guardian: Countries legally obliged to consider slavery reparations, says UN committee
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.