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The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution that will have a major impact in international debate: the transatlantic slave trade is described as the most serious crime against humanity.
The text, presented by Ghana, was adopted by 123 votes in favor, but the result highlighted a significant political divide.
African countries and many states in the Global South strongly supported the resolution, while the USA, Israel and Argentina voted against. 52 countries, on the other hand, abstained. Among them were many European states, including, unfortunately, Italy, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Switzerland.
The document is not binding, but it does constitute official recognition of the systematic deportation and exploitation of millions of Africans between the 16th and 19th centuries. And yet, we, along with so many other nations, chose not to speak out against this aberration perpetrated over centuries.
The most striking (and chilling) fact highlighted by this vote is precisely the large European abstention. Several of the continent's countries preferred to adopt a "cautious" stance and not openly support the text, thus avoiding any direct commitment to possible demands for economic reparations, official apologies, international negotiations or the assumption of historical responsibilities.
With this vote, for the first time, the UN explicitly recognizes the systemic scale of the deportation of millions of Africans, describing it not only as a historical tragedy, but also as an open wound that continues to influence current inequalities and discrimination.
As noted, the resolution calls on member states to consider remedial action for any role they may have played in the slave trade. Among the measures mentioned are public apologies, educational programs, the restitution of cultural property looted during the colonial period, and initiatives against systemic racism.
According to historical estimates, over 12 million Africans were deported to the Americas, while more than two million died during the crossing. The text underlines that the consequences of this system continue to weigh heavily on social inequalities, discrimination and economic imbalances.
The message is clear: the slave trade is not just a page turned, but an event that continues to shape economic and social balances. With this vote, the UN introduces a new point of reference into the international debate, transforming memory into a current political issue and leaving open the greatest of difficulties: translating this recognition into concrete action.
And unfortunately, the European Union countries, by abstaining, are clearly showing which side they're on. It's not a vote against, but it's not full support either: an intermediate position that highlights the difficulty of confronting the question of historical responsibility and possible reparations. The result is a historic, yet deeply divisive resolution that reopens the debate on Europe's role in one of history's most dramatic pages.
(©GreenMe.it 2026 / Managing Editor : Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction / Picture : ©Unsplash)