AU Reparations Champion John Dramani Mahama Prepares for 81st UN General Assembly Event

Ghanaian President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, serving as the African Union (AU) Champion for Reparations, recently briefed the 21st Extraordinary AU Summit in Luanda on the growing international movement for reparatory justice.

​This briefing follows the landmark UN General Assembly Resolution (ARES8250) spearheaded by a coalition of the AU, CARICOM, and the African Diaspora which formally recognized the enslavement of African people as history's gravest crime against humanity. Building on that momentum, Ghana raised the critical question of how to translate this milestone into concrete action.

​In June, President Mahama convened the Next Steps Conference in Accra, where the movement's scope was broadened to address indentured labor as a recognized historical injustice. The conference also led to the creation of three key bodies: a High-Level Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, a Global Experts Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Heritage, and a Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice.

​Once viewed as a sensitive or taboo topic, reparatory justice is now actively transforming international diplomacy. Recent years have seen the return of stolen African artifacts, the repeal of outdated colonial legislation such as France's Code Noir, and unprecedented acknowledgments from major global institutions.

​To sustain this progress, Ghana will host a high-level side event during the 81st UN General Assembly Session this September. The gathering will feature formal progress updates from the newly established advisory panels. President Mahama has extended an invitation to all Heads of State to join this unified effort advocating for justice, restitution, and restored dignity for Africa and the global African diaspora.

@VoltaToday