Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the significant shift in France's position on reparatory justice. This follows new anti-slavery policy announcements by French President Emmanuel Macron and France's decision to work with Ghana on issues relating to reparations for the trans-Atlantic enslavement of Africans.
According to Ghana News Agency, the development comes in the wake of the historic Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, a move analysts say is reshaping global conversations on reparations and historical justice. A statement by Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared with the Ghana News Agency, said the Government welcomed France's commitment during activities commemorating the 25th anniversary of France's law recognizing slavery as a crime against humanity.
President Mahama, who also serves as the African Union Champion for Reparatory Justice, commended President Macron for his leadership on the sensitive but consequential issue of reparatory justice. The statement said Ghana looked forward to collaborating with France on a proposed Ghana-France Scientific Commission expected to be established in Ghana to deepen research, dialogue, and cooperation on historical injustices and reparatory processes.
It disclosed that President Macron had accepted an invitation from President Mahama to address the upcoming High-Level Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice scheduled to take place in Accra from June 17 to 19, 2026. According to the Government, France's latest policy direction and willingness to engage Ghana on reparatory justice represented one of the most concrete international responses so far following the adoption of the landmark UN resolution.
'The Government of Ghana is pleased with the positive momentum and concrete outcomes following the landmark adoption of the Ghana-led UN Resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,' the statement noted. Ghana expressed its readiness, along with international partners on reparatory justice, to engage France on a broad range of issues including official apologies, guarantees of non-repetition, return of looted artifacts, healing initiatives, compensation mechanisms, repeal of slavery-era laws, and addressing the enduring consequences of slavery.
The Government also applauded France's intention to repeal the colonial-era slavery statutes known as the 'Code Noir,' a legal framework introduced during the reign of King Louis XIV in the 17th century to regulate slavery in French colonies. The Code Noir historically governed the treatment, control, and punishment of enslaved Africans in French territories and has long been criticized by historians and rights advocates as one of the most brutal legal instruments of the slave trade era. Ghana described President Macron's acknowledgment that such statutes were incompatible with modern democratic values as an important step towards honest historical engagement.
'Honest reckoning is the necessary foundation for everything that follows. We welcome France's willingness to begin that work,' the statement said. The Ministry noted that the announcement came at a moment of historic significance following the adoption of the landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution on March 25, 2026. The resolution, backed by 123 member states, recognized the transatlantic enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity and called on member states to engage constructively on reparatory justice.
The resolution was spearheaded by President Mahama in his role as African Union Champion on Reparatory Justice and is widely regarded as a major diplomatic breakthrough in Africa's longstanding campaign for justice and restitution over slavery and colonial exploitation. The resolution has elevated reparatory justice from a largely moral and academic discourse to an issue now gaining formal traction within multilateral institutions and international diplomacy.
The Government of Ghana said President Macron's latest declarations constituted a meaningful contribution towards sustaining that momentum and advancing the international conversation from recognition to concrete action. 'It is to carry that conversation forward from recognition toward shared understanding, partnership and concrete action that Ghana is hosting the Next Steps Summit on Reparations,' the statement explained.
The Accra conference is expected to convene Heads of State, ministers, scholars, civil society organizations and reparations advocates from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas to deliberate on practical frameworks for reparatory justice. According to the Ministry, the summit aims to deepen scholarly and institutional partnerships, promote honest engagement between states, and advance sustained international cooperation on reparations grounded in good faith and rigorous dialogue.
Government also confirmed that an expanded French delegation would participate in the summit at a high level, describing the development as a significant diplomatic signal of France's commitment to the process. Beyond France, Ghana reaffirmed its readiness to engage bilaterally and multilaterally with governments, institutions, and global partners prepared to undertake what it termed the 'profound work' of reparatory justice in good faith.
Calls for reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation have intensified globally over the past decade, particularly among African states and the African diaspora. The movement seeks acknowledgment of historical injustices and advocates various forms of redress, including formal apologies, debt relief, restitution of stolen cultural artifacts, educational investments, and economic compensation. Ghana has emerged as one of the leading voices in the global reparations campaign, leveraging both its historical significance in the slave trade and its diplomatic influence within the African Union.