A UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD) issued guidance on Monday stating that, under the legally binding 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, every state party is obliged to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. The document frames this as a paradigm shift away from debates over historical responsibility and calls on states to implement comprehensive reparatory measures for people of African descent, covering all aspects of remedies. It notes that the guidance may be cited in courtrooms.
The committee highlighted that at least 12.5 million Africans were forcibly removed and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries, describing it as the largest forced displacement in history. Calls for reparations—ranging from official apologies to financial compensation—have gained international momentum, though some governments argue that states cannot be held liable for crimes that predate modern international law. The European Union and Britain abstained from a UN resolution on slavery in March, and several states have invoked the intertemporality principle to dismiss legal claims.
The UN text stresses that financial compensation alone is insufficient and urges transformative actions such as opening archives, revising public memorials and establishing independent truth commissions. Pela Boker Wilson, a Liberian expert who helped draft the guidance, said she expects states to move beyond vague expressions of regret and to review policies and laws. “We are calling on state parties to take concrete and meaningful action,” she told Reuters, adding that the goal is to affirm the dignity of those whose suffering was denied or forgotten.
