Brazil has pledged its full support for Ghana’s push at the United Nations to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, adding weight to a growing coalition backing the initiative.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed Brazil’s position during engagements on the sidelines of the CELAC-Africa Summit in Colombia, aligning his country with a resolution being advanced by Ghana under the leadership of President John Mahama.
The development is significant given Brazil’s historical and demographic context. The country is home to the largest population of people of African descent outside the African continent, a legacy directly linked to the transatlantic slave trade. Brazil was also one of the principal destinations of enslaved Africans during that period, making its support both symbolic and politically relevant.
Ghana’s campaign at the UN seeks to elevate the classification of the transatlantic slave trade beyond its current recognition, framing it as the gravest crime against humanity. The move is part of a broader effort to advance conversations around historical accountability and reparatory justice, issues that continue to shape global discourse on race, history, and international law.
President John Mahama has been at the forefront of this diplomatic push, steadily building support across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. His approach has centred on positioning the resolution not only as a historical correction but as part of a wider global conversation on justice and equity. Through bilateral engagements and multilateral forums, Mahama has sought to rally countries with shared historical experiences to back the proposal.
In recent months, the Ghanaian leader has used high-level international platforms to frame the initiative as a collective responsibility rather than a national agenda. His engagements have focused on strengthening alliances with countries in the Global South, where the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade remains deeply embedded in social and economic structures. This sustained diplomatic effort has contributed to the growing coalition now backing the resolution ahead of the UN vote.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described Brazil’s endorsement as a critical boost to the initiative, noting that support for the resolution continues to expand.
“Our reparatory justice coalition is getting bigger and better. We are confident of victory at the UN on the 25th of March, 2026. I am most grateful to President Lula for the opportunity to engage him in the margins of the ongoing CELAC-Africa Summit in Colombia,” Ablakwa said.
The resolution is expected to draw attention from countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, regions historically connected through the transatlantic slave trade. For many of these states, the issue extends beyond historical recognition to questions of justice, memory, and the long-term socio-economic impact of slavery.
The backing from Brazil on this important campaign signals a broader alignment between African and Latin American countries on matters of historical redress. It also strengthens Ghana’s diplomatic push as the resolution heads toward consideration at the United Nations, where voting dynamics will be closely watched.
As discussions continue, the outcome of Ghana’s push to have the transatlantic slave trade declared a crime against humanity could shape future international engagement on reparations and the global acknowledgement of one of history’s most enduring injustices.
