Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced his country’s full support for a United Nations initiative led by John Dramani Mahama to formally recognize the transatlantic slave trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.
The endorsement carries significant weight, as Brazil is home to the largest population of people of African descent outside Africa, adding both moral and historical authority to the proposal.
Sharing the development on Facebook on Sunday, March 22, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed optimism about the growing international support for the resolution.
“Our reparatory justice coalition is growing stronger every day, and we are confident of success at the UN on March 25, 2026,” he said.
Mr. Ablakwa also expressed his gratitude to President Lula for the discussion, which took place on the sidelines of the CELAC-Africa Summit in Colombia.
“I am deeply grateful to President Lula for the opportunity to meet him on the sidelines of the ongoing CELAC-AFRICA Summit in Colombia. Reparatory justice will be achieved,” he said.
Advocates of the initiative argue that formally recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity would mark a major milestone in the global reparatory justice movement. Momentum is building ahead of the United Nations vote scheduled for March 25, 2026.