Ghana Co-Hosts UN Reform and Reparations Event

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

Ghana and Togo co-hosted a high-level side event during the 80th United Nations General Assembly focusing on accelerating UN reform while strengthening momentum toward justice and reparations for Africa and the global diaspora.

The event, held at the African Union Representative Office in New York, brought together ministers, ambassadors, UN and African Union officials, and members of the African diaspora under the theme “The United Nations 80 Years Later: Accelerating the Reform Agenda and Strengthening the Momentum Towards Justice and Reparations.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa conveyed warm greetings from President John Dramani Mahama, who serves as African Union Champion for Reparations, emphasizing the gathering’s significance as a platform to reflect on eight decades of UN history while renewing momentum for Africa’s longstanding calls for justice and institutional reform.

Participants emphasized that the multilateral system remains fundamentally imbalanced, with persistent underrepresentation of Africa and the Global South in critical decision-making bodies. This structural inequality makes United Nations reform, particularly Security Council reform, an urgent imperative for global governance effectiveness.

Speakers highlighted that reparations for Africans and people of African descent represent more than abstract ideals, constituting moral, historical, and developmental imperatives that require concrete action from the international community.

The event drew momentum from the 2nd Africa-CARICOM Summit held earlier this month in Addis Ababa, where leaders adopted a historic Declaration on Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice, strengthening cooperation between African and Caribbean nations on shared priorities.

Participants welcomed the African Union’s landmark decision to extend the 2025 reparations theme into a comprehensive Decade of Reparations spanning 2026-2036. This extension demonstrates sustained continental commitment to addressing historical injustices and their contemporary consequences.

The AU has also committed to operationalizing and adequately resourcing newly established mechanisms designed to advance the reparations agenda across multiple dimensions including legal, financial, and diplomatic initiatives.

Ghana’s leadership role in the reparations movement reflects President Mahama’s appointment as AU Champion for Reparations, positioning the country to spearhead continental efforts seeking historical justice and contemporary redress for colonialism’s enduring impacts.

The side event concluded with comprehensive calls to accelerate UN reform processes, mobilize legal and financial instruments to translate reparations commitments into concrete actions, and strengthen solidarity among Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the wider African diaspora.

Participants affirmed that reparations initiatives extend beyond addressing historical injustices to actively dismantling enduring structural inequalities while building fairer, more just international systems for future generations.

The Ghana-Togo partnership in hosting this event demonstrates regional cooperation in advancing shared African interests within multilateral forums, particularly regarding institutional reform and historical justice initiatives.

Minister Ablakwa’s participation continues Ghana’s active diplomatic engagement during the UN General Assembly week, which has included securing visa waiver agreements, participating in Commonwealth meetings, and advancing climate action priorities across multiple forums.

The reparations discussion occurs as Ghana prepares to lead the AU’s decade-long initiative, requiring coordination with international partners, civil society organizations, and diaspora communities to build comprehensive strategies for addressing historical grievances.

The event’s timing during the 80th UN General Assembly underscores the urgency of institutional reform as global challenges require more representative and effective multilateral responses that include African and Global South perspectives in decision-making processes.

Participants stressed that Security Council reform remains particularly critical, given Africa’s absence from permanent membership despite representing over one-quarter of UN membership and hosting significant portions of peacekeeping operations and development challenges.

The call for reparations encompasses multiple dimensions including financial compensation, debt relief, technology transfer, and institutional recognition of historical injustices that continue affecting contemporary development outcomes across Africa and diaspora communities.

Ghana’s diplomatic strategy under the Mahama administration demonstrates commitment to principle-based international engagement, combining practical bilateral achievements with leadership on transformative multilateral initiatives addressing global justice and institutional reform.

The event reinforced connections between UN reform and reparations as complementary processes for creating more equitable international systems that address both structural inequalities and historical grievances affecting billions of people worldwide.

As Ghana assumes expanded leadership responsibilities for continental reparations efforts, these diplomatic engagements establish foundations for sustained international cooperation while building momentum for comprehensive justice initiatives spanning the next decade.

The partnership between Ghana and Togo in hosting this event reflects broader West African cooperation in advancing shared priorities within international forums, demonstrating regional solidarity in pursuing institutional reform and historical justice.

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