DECLARATION ON THE TRAFFICKING OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS AND RACIALISED CHATTEL OF AFRICANS AS THE GRAVEST CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
Statement delivered by Canada
31 March 2026
Thank you, President.
I deliver this statement today on behalf of Australia and my own country, Canada.
Slavery and the transatlantic slave trade were abhorrent practices and grave injustices that spanned centuries and caused profound and immeasurable suffering. We honour the memory of the millions of victims of the transatlantic slave trade and pay tribute and respect to their descendants, whose lives and communities continue to bear the enduring impacts of these atrocities.
We thank Ghana for its leadership throughout the negotiations on this resolution and recognise President Mahama’s dedicated efforts as the African Union Champion for Advancing the Cause of Justice and Payment of Reparations. We appreciate the commitment shown by Ghana and many others to advancing dialogue on this deeply important issue.
It is therefore with sincere regret that Canada and Australia must abstain on this resolution.
We are unable to endorse a text that risks creating a hierarchy of crimes against humanity—a hierarchy that does not exist in international law—and that cuts across other critical and ongoing multilateral processes, including the negotiations on a future convention on crimes against humanity. It is essential that these discussions proceed in a coherent, inclusive, and legally sound manner.
Throughout negotiations, Australia and Canada engaged in good faith and worked constructively to achieve consensus. We genuinely sought a balanced and broadly acceptable outcome. We regret that the compressed timeframe for negotiations prevented the in-depth consideration this important topic deserves and ultimately limited our ability to find compromises and bridge remaining differences.
Despite our abstention, our commitment to confronting the legacy of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, and to supporting meaningful dialogue on reparatory justice, remains unwavering. We stand ready to continue working with all Member States and all stakeholders – especially people of African descent and descendants of the slave trade - in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.
Thank you.