Trafficking and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans — The Gravest Crime Against Humanity

On March 25, 2026 the Republic of Ghana, on behalf of the African States, submitted a resolution to the United Nations entitled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.”  It passed with 123 votes in favor, 52 abstentions and 3 votes (U.S., Israel, Argentina) against. What is its significance to our current demand for Reparations?

Of the many lessons Malcolm X taught us, two of the most important were: 1) the need for Black people in the U.S. to bring our case for human rights to the global arena; and 2) the absolute necessity for Africa and the African Diaspora to work together for our mutual benefit.

25 years ago, we saw the first product of those lessons learned when the UN World Conference Against Racism (held in Durban, South Africa) adopted the Durban Declaration and Program of Action [DDPA]. The DDPA was the first international declaration that the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery were Crimes Against Humanity and that Reparations are due to the descendants of the victims of these crimes. This historic victory was achieved through a campaign waged by Black NGOs (Non-Governmental, i.e. Community, Organizations) from around the world who worked closely with the African and Caribbean countries in the U.N. to push through this consensus document. Every country in the world joined in the DDPA, except the U.S. and Israel who walked out of the Conference instead of acknowledging our right to reparations. They’ve since set out to erase and distort the DDPA and have delayed the progress of its implementation.

 The Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity builds on the foundation set by the DDPA. The cumulative work and victories of the Pan-African reparations movement will continue to amass power and advance internationally. This work not only exposes those responsible for crimes against humanity, but also their refusal to be held accountable.

Our work to build unity and demand justice will grow through our movement’s increased precision, both in the language that this Declaration sharpens from the DDPA, and in the relentlessness to push forward with less and less compromise. This Declaration re-establishes that what has been done to African people is not only a crime without a statute of limitations, challenging the perpetrator’s jurisprudence – but also articulates this “crime does not rot” signifying the reality that the world cannot move forward until what has been done to Africa and its descendants is repaired.

The December 12th Movement in coalition with dozens of other organizations, are working together to make August 29th, 2026 a global day of celebration of the victory of the DDPA and to bring people together to build the unity needed to advance our Pan-African struggle for human rights and reparations.

Endorse on behalf of your organization here: Organizational Endorsement Form