The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has congratulated President John Dramani Mahama, his team of experts and officials, and the government for leading the successful passage of a United Nations resolution on reparative justice.

For many years, reparative justice has remained in the corridors of global politics, often lacking the needed agency and acknowledgement.

In a statement issued in Accra yesterday and copied to The Ghanaian Times, ISODEC described the resolution, which declares the transatlantic slave trade “the gravest crime against humanity,” as a major victory for people of African descent and all those striving for justice worldwide.

The statement noted that the resolution formally acknowledged that the transatlantic slave trade, which involved the forced displacement of more than 12 million Africans, was not merely a historical tragedy but a systemic crime with enduring consequences.

It said the resolution urged member states of the United Nations to consider formal apologies and contribute to reparations aimed at addressing persistent social, economic and racial inequalities.

The statement called for the repatriation of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial era and for educational initiatives to preserve the memory of enslaved people and their resistance.

According to ISODEC, the resolution framed reparative justice not as charity or symbolism but as a necessary response to the root causes of inequality, underdevelopment and human rights violations affecting descendants of enslaved people across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe.

Although not legally binding, the organisation said the resolution marked a significant step in the global movement for reparative justice, establishing a normative principle and opening dialogue towards redress and equity.

ISODEC urged Ghana, the African Union and the Caribbean Community to champion the establishment of a formal UN mechanism to facilitate negotiations, document injustices and coordinate cultural restitution.

It further called on states that opposed or abstained to reconsider their positions and engage constructively in the process.

The organisation appealed to the international community to adopt CARICOM’s 10-Point Reparations Plan as a working framework, including formal apologies, debt cancellation, investment in health and education, and development programmes.

ISODEC emphasised that reparative justice was not only about financial compensation but also about restoring dignity, culture and opportunity.

It said the resolution had established a historical record by affirming slavery as a crime against humanity and rejecting claims that such injustices were too remote to address.

ISODEC also provided moral and political momentum, placing reparative justice within mainstream international discourse and enabling coordinated advocacy.

The organisation noted that the resolution broadened the framework for justice by focusing on structural inequalities rooted in slavery and colonialism.

ISODEC stressed that while the resolution represented progress, concrete action was required to translate it into meaningful change globally.