‘This is what we expect from a statesman’ – Brazilian President commends Mahama for leading global reparatory justice push

President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has commended President John Mahama and Ghanaians for their leadership in advancing the global reparatory justice agenda. President Lula made the remarks during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he referenced the landmark UN declaration recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the “gravest crime against humanity”. The declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026, following a Ghana-led initiative championed by President Mahama. The resolution also called for inclusive dialogue on reparatory justice and recognised the need to address the lasting consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

In his address, President Lula praised the significance of the General Assembly’s decision, describing it as a correction of a historical distortion. “This General Assembly recently corrected a historical distortion in the world map. It recognised the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” he said. He added that the international community must now move beyond recognition and focus on issues that are critical to humanity’s future. “It approves a more accurate representation of the world map. Now, it needs to focus on issues crucial for the future of humanity. We are called to choose between multilateralism or unilateralism, democracy or extremism, sovereignty or subordination,” President Lula stated. “These choices require courage, political will, and clarity of objectives. This is what we expect from a statesman. ” President Lula’s remarks come as Ghana continues to push for further action following the adoption of the UN declaration. The resolution, formally titled the…