Bangladesh, June 25 -- There are rare moments in history when long-silenced truths break through the walls of indifference and demand global recognition. The Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice, held in Accra, Ghana, from June 17 to 19, 2026, may prove to be one of those moments. Convened on the very coastline that witnessed centuries of human suffering during the transatlantic slave trade, the gathering brought together African leaders, legal experts, activists, and members of the African diaspora to advance a cause that has too often been acknowledged rhetorically but avoided politically: reparations for slavery and colonialism.

The conference came on the heels of a landmark development at the United Nations. On March 25, 2026,...