Story: News Desk

Accra has become the epicentre of global diplomatic convergence, as representatives from over 80 countries arrive in Ghana for the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice. 

According to Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the high-level gathering brings together Presidents from Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe, alongside the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Vice Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, the Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, and ministers drawn from more than 80 nations across the world. 

The conference is convened under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama, marking what officials describe as a decisive continuation of global dialogue on historical justice and redress. 

“The Presidents of Senegal, Namibia, Liberia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Prime Minister of Barbados, Vice Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Speaker of the Algerian Parliament and Ministers from over 80 countries arrive in Ghana for the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice convened by President John Dramani Mahama,” he posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, June 18. 

The convening follows three months after the adoption of UN Resolution A/RES/80/250, a landmark decision that has reshaped international discourse on the transatlantic slave trade and its enduring legacy. 

“The convening comes three months after the historic adoption of UN Resolution A/RES/80/250 declaring the transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity,” the minister noted. 

Set against a backdrop of renewed global consciousness, the Accra conference is expected to consolidate commitments, forge multilateral pathways, and elevate reparatory justice from principle to actionable global policy.