UN Resolution: Transatlantic Slave Trade as Gravest Crime

0:00European news, powered by AI. This is Europe News Today. I'm Cory with the story. The United Nations General Assembly just passed a resolution calling the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the gravest crime against humanity. 123 out of 193 member states backed, led by Ghana for the African group. Its spotlights over 400 years of enslavement and pushes for concrete steps like reparations to heal those deep wounds. This trade forcibly moved about 12 million Africans to the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries, the largest migration in history. More than 2 million died on the brutal ocean crossings. The vote landed on March 25th, the International Day of Remembrance for Slavery Victims tying back to the United Kingdom's abolition act from, exactly 218 years earlier. Ghana played a huge role as a key departure point for slave ships, and their president framed it as solidarity for truth and reparative justice. But reactions split hard, every European nation plus spots like Australia and Canada abstained.

1:05The United States, Israel and Argentina straight up voted against it. Opponents called the gravest label problematic, saying it ranks crimes and ignores that these acts weren't illegal under old international law. Local bases for reparations there. Ireland echoed that, citing wording issues and inaccuracies, though they pushed tweaks during talks and vowed to fight modern slavery. Ghana's foreign minister made it clear reparations mean justice through education funds and skills training, not handouts for leaders. This non-binding move keeps pressure on for addressing slavery's lasting scars, sparking real global talks on making things right.