Nigeria, April 14 -- Reckoning with History

On 25 March, the United Nations General Assembly took a historic step by recognising the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity." The resolution (A/80/L.48) passed with the support of 123 member states, while the United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against it, and 52 countries including the United Kingdom and several European Union members abstained. Championed by Ghana, with strong backing from the African Union, the resolution reflects a growing global momentum around historical justice and reparations.

The vote is as symbolic as it is political. It does not create legal obligations, as General Assembly resolutions, unlike those of the UN Security Council, ar...