Ghana is set to host a high-level international conference on reparatory justice from June 17 to 19, 2026, following the adoption of a landmark United Nations resolution on the issue.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the event on Monday, June 15, describing it as a significant step from global recognition of the impacts of slavery and colonialism to concrete action for justice and restitution.
The three-day “Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice” will bring together heads of state, foreign ministers, legal experts, academics, civil society organisations, and representatives of the African diaspora to develop a coordinated global framework for advancing reparatory justice.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, the UN resolution, supported by 123 member states, represents one of the strongest international acknowledgements of the enduring effects of slavery, colonial exploitation, and historical injustices suffered by people of African descent.
Expected outcomes include the development of a global post-adoption framework, the establishment of advisory, legal, and cultural restitution panels, and the creation of a permanent transcontinental forum to sustain collaboration among stakeholders across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, and Latin America.
Confirmed high-level participants include Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai, Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and Gambian President Adama Barrow.
The conference will conclude on June 19 with the adoption of an outcome document and a historic Juneteenth commemoration at Osu Castle, symbolising remembrance, unity, and the continuing pursuit of justice for descendants of enslaved Africans.
Mr. Ablakwa described the summit as a strategic turning point in the global reparations movement and a major step toward translating international consensus into meaningful action.
