President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana is working toward a March 2026 deadline to formally submit a landmark resolution at the United Nations on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking at a media engagement in Addis Ababa on February 15, 2026, President Mahama outlined a detailed timetable leading to the presentation of the draft at the United Nations General Assembly.
According to him, Ghana plans to table the resolution on March 25, 2026, to coincide with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
“The date is intentional. It connects memory with action,” he said.
The resolution seeks to have the trafficking in enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement declared the gravest crime against humanity.
Mr Mahama revealed that Ghana will begin a series of diplomatic engagements in New York from February 20, targeting key international blocs ahead of the March presentation.
Beginning 20th February 2026, Ghana will conduct intensive diplomatic engagements in New York with CARICOM, the Non-Aligned Movement, the G77 and China, the European Union, and other regional groups.
“Our objective is simple: build a broad consensus,” he said.
He added that informal consultations on the draft are expected to take place between February 23 and March 12, allowing countries to review and suggest changes before it is formally presented.
A major part of Ghana’s strategy, Mr Mahama said, is securing strong backing from Africa and the Caribbean.
He disclosed that Ghana will engage leaders of the Caribbean Community later this month, describing their support as critical.
“The Caribbean and Africa share a deeply intertwined history. Their support will be pivotal,” he noted.
On the African front, he said the initiative already has the backing of the African Union, following its adoption by consensus at the Union’s 39th Ordinary Session.
“This gives Ghana a clear and unified continental mandate,” he stated.
Mr Mahama said the March target follows more than a year of consultations and technical work.
He recalled that Ghana first announced its intention to lead the initiative at the UN in September 2025.
“At the 80th Session… I announced that Ghana would lead the effort to table a resolution declaring slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity,” he said.
Since then, a high-level committee has been working on the legal and historical framework of the document.
He explained that the draft is built on three main pillars: “historical accuracy, legal defensibility, and continental and diaspora alignment”.
“We have ensured that the text reflects rigorous scholarship, moral clarity, and diplomatic credibility,” he added.
Ahead of the March 25 presentation, Ghana will also organise symbolic activities in New York.
On March 24, the country will host a high-level side event at the UN, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground National Monument.
Mr Mahama said these activities are meant to underline the historical importance of the resolution and keep global attention on the issue.
President Mahama stressed that the initiative is not intended to target or blame specific nations.
“This initiative is not directed against any nation. It is directed toward truth, recognition, and reconciliation,” he said.
He argued that acknowledging slavery as a crime against humanity is necessary for meaningful global dialogue on justice and inequality.
“The adoption of this resolution will not erase history. But it will acknowledge it,” he said.
Mr Mahama said Ghana is already planning for the period after the resolution is tabled.
He noted that the country will continue engaging the UN Secretary-General, the African Union Commission, and interested member states on reparatory justice.
“Adoption is not the end,” he said. “This is about sustained dialogue on reparatory justice and healing.”
