New York, United States (Running Africa) — Ghana says several Western countries are showing greater willingness to address the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, with the return of African cultural artefacts emerging as an early focus of its campaign for reparatory justice.

Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said during a UN General Assembly event that Britain and Portugal had expressed support for Ghana’s reparations campaign, while France, Germany and the Netherlands had indicated openness to the restitution of African cultural property.

Ghana is positioning the return of artefacts as one of the first practical steps in a broader campaign addressing the historical and continuing consequences of slavery.

Netherlands to Return About 2,000 Artefacts to Ghana

According to Ghanaian authorities, the Netherlands has committed to returning about 2,000 cultural artefacts after completing the process of cataloguing the objects.

Ghana is also seeking stronger international mechanisms through UNESCO and the United Nations to support provenance research and facilitate the restitution of African cultural heritage held abroad.

The initiative forms part of a wider African effort to recover objects removed during colonial rule and other periods of foreign control.

Ghana Expands Slave Trade Reparations Campaign

Beyond cultural restitution, Ghana’s reparatory justice campaign could eventually include demands for formal apologies, debt relief and financial compensation.

Ghana and Caribbean countries have been working on a broader framework for reparatory justice following a high-level conference held in Accra in June.

The campaign gained further momentum when the UN General Assembly adopted a Ghana-led resolution addressing the trafficking and enslavement of Africans, in March.

The resolution described the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement as “the gravest crime against humanity.” It was adopted with 123 countries voting in favor, three against and 52 abstaining.

Ghana Seeks Concrete Action on Reparations

Ghana is now seeking to translate international recognition of the slave trade’s legacy into practical measures, beginning with the restitution of cultural property.

The campaign could later expand into more politically and financially complex areas of reparatory justice as Ghana works with African, Caribbean and international partners on a broader framework.