Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25 March 2026

Ghana leads UN to declare the slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, advancing global reparatory justice and safeguarding historical truth.

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to designate the Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the system of racialised chattel enslavement as “the gravest crime against humanity.” Adopted on Wednesday 25 March 2026 with an overwhelming majority of 123 Member States voting in favour, UN Resolution A/80/L.48 marks a historic shift in the international community’s engagement with the enduring legacies of slavery. Three countries—Argentina, Israel, and the United States—voted against it and 52 abstained.

The resolution was spearheaded by Ghana and strongly supported by the African Union. Ghana’s leadership in championing this resolution reflects a deliberate and strategic effort to move global discourse on slavery beyond symbolic acknowledgment toward institutional accountability and reparatory justice. By rallying broad cross‑regional support and negotiating a text that commands such decisive backing, Ghana has positioned itself at the forefront of an evolving global justice movement. This initiative builds on Ghana’s longstanding legacy as a gateway of African remembrance and reconciliation, from its “Year of Return” initiatives to its sustained advocacy within the United Nations on issues of racial justice. Through this resolution, Ghana has elevated the conversation from reflecting on past atrocities to advancing concrete policy commitments aimed at redress, structural reform, and systemic transformation.

The resolution’s call for reparations extends far beyond financial compensation. It highlights the need for recognition of the immense scale and brutality of slavery as a crime against humanity, reconciliation rooted in truth‑telling and historical accountability, and transformational change addressing the persistent global inequalities that remain tied to the legacy of enslavement. 

Caption: President Mahama of Ghana speaking at the High-level Event on Reparatory Justice at the UN.Photo: © UNIC Accra

Speaking at a high‑level event on reparatory justice held in New York on 24 March 2026, the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, reiterated the significance of this landmark decision, stating: “This resolution is a pathway to healing and reparative justice. This resolution is a safeguard against forgetting.” His words capture the dual purpose of the resolution: to honour the memory of the millions whose lives were stolen and to lay the foundation for a more just international order—one that confronts historical truth while building mechanisms for equitable futures.

UNICCommunications Officer

Sankofa Wellness Center Receives 2022 Los Angeles Award

Los Angeles Award Program Honors the Achievement

LOS ANGELES October 21, 2022 -- Sankofa Wellness Center has been selected for the 2022 Los Angeles Award in the Non-Profit Organization category by the Los Angeles Award Program.

Each year, the Los Angeles Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Los Angeles area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Los Angeles Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Los Angeles Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Los Angeles Award Program

The Los Angeles Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Los Angeles area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Los Angeles Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Award Program