Brazil Backs UN Move to Recognise Slave Trade as ‘Gravest Crime’

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has thrown his weight behind a proposed United Nations resolution seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as “the gravest crime against humanity,” while also advancing calls for reparatory justice.

Speaking at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)–Africa Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, Lula reaffirmed Brazil’s support for the initiative, which is expected to be presented at the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026.

“Brazil supports the African Group at the United Nations in recognising human trafficking and the slave trade as among the gravest atrocities in human history,” President Lula said.

The resolution is being championed by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, and seeks global acknowledgment of the historical injustices of slavery, alongside calls for the return of looted cultural artefacts linked to African heritage and kingdoms.

It also forms part of broader efforts to push for structural reforms in the international system, aimed at ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for African nations and people of African descent worldwide.

Lula’s endorsement is seen as a major boost to the initiative, given Brazil’s historical role as one of the largest destinations during the transatlantic slave trade.

The proposal has already garnered support from key regional blocs, including the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as well as backing from several Asian countries.

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the growing coalition reflects a shared resolve among countries in the Global South to confront the enduring legacy of slavery.

“The call for reparatory justice is about a shared recognition of the profound injustices inflicted on Africans and their descendants. It is not merely a pursuit of monetary compensation,” he said.

President Mahama, who serves as the African Union’s champion on reparations, had earlier announced plans to table the resolution during his address to the UN General Assembly in 2025.