The United States has explained its opposition to a United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel slavery as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution, led by Ghana, was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with 123 countries voting in favour and only three Argentina, Israel, and the United States voting against, while 52 abstained.
In its response, the U.S. stated that although it condemns the trans-Atlantic and trans-Saharan slave trades and acknowledges them as historical injustices, it considers the resolution “highly problematic in countless respects.”
U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea argued that the United Nations should focus on maintaining international peace and security rather than advancing specific agendas or creating additional mandates that could impose new costs.
He noted that while the U.S. recognises the atrocities of the past, it rejects the claim that actions from the 15th to 19th centuries amount to violations of jus cogens, or peremptory norms of international law.
The U.S. also expressed concern that the resolution could be used to justify demands for reparations, stating that it does not recognise a legal right to compensation for historical actions that were not considered illegal under international law at the time they occurred.
Additionally, the government questioned how beneficiaries of any proposed reparatory justice would be determined and warned against redistributing modern resources to individuals or nations only indirectly linked to historical victims.
Negrea further criticised what he described as “fake news” about former President Donald Trump, claiming that Trump had made significant contributions to Black Americans and received notable support from Black voters in the 2024 election.
Speaking on behalf of the African Group, President John Mahama described the resolution as “a solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice.”
Meanwhile, António Guterres stated that the transatlantic slave trade constituted a crime against humanity that deeply harmed individuals, families, and communities.
In a statement following the vote, he urged global leaders and citizens to reject narratives of racial division and to recommit to human rights, equality, and the inherent dignity of all people.
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