Ghana's slavery reparations push: Who will pay?

Western governments often argue that today's generations can't be held responsible for the crimes of slavery. But Ghana is challenging that narrative. After spearheading a historic United Nations (UN) resolution in March 2026 that formally recognized the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity," Accra is pushing the global conversation on reparations into new territory. Backed by the African Union (AU)and allies across the Caribbean, Ghana is calling for international recognition, restitution, and the return of looted cultural heritage—framing reparatory justicenot as pity, but as a long‑denied moral and legal imperative. With no binding legal mechanism to enforce reparations, can restorative justice truly work on the world stage? Mimi Mefo Newuh and George Okachi dig into the political rifts, the rising global momentum, and the uncomfortable questions shaping this messy—but necessary—debate.