Saint Lucia was among 123 countries that supported a United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity”, a move Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre described as both necessary and timely.
The resolution, proposed by Ghana, also urged UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund.
Three countries – the United States, Israel and Argentina – voted against, whilst 52 nations abstained, including Britain and several European Union member states.
Ahead of the vote, United States representative to the UN Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Dan Negrea, stated that the US “does not recognise a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred”.
That position is shared by countries such as the UK, which has long rejected calls to pay reparations, arguing that present-day institutions should not be held legally responsible for actions that took place centuries ago.
Pierre welcomed the resolution, saying it represents an important acknowledgement of history.
“Some of us would prefer to forget. {But} … that’s part of our history… We should never forget that it happened,” the Prime Minister said.
While resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly are not legally binding, as those of the Security Council are, they carry significant symbolic and political weight, often reflecting the international community’s position on major global issues.
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