ACCRA, Ghana, CMC – The Secretary Normal of the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) says the reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave commerce is a precedence for the 15-member regional integration grouping.
Addressing the four-day ACCRA Reparations Convention, which entered its second day on Wednesday, Barnett mentioned CARICOM leaders have agreed that collaboration with Africa on reparations is crucial to transferring the reparations justice agenda ahead.
“They’ve expressed their full assist for the convening of the Accra Reparations Convention as a strategic and prime alternative to forge a standard, collaborative agenda between the Caribbean and Africa on reparations,” Barnett advised the convention that’s being held beneath the theme “Constructing a United Entrance to Advance the Reason for Justice and the Fee of Reparations to Africans.”
The convention has introduced collectively many African heads of state and authorities, students, authorized specialists, and representatives of civil society organizations.
In a video tackle, the CARICOM Secretary-Normal mentioned the regional leaders welcomed the replace that the African Union can also be in search of to develop a standard place on reparations and a roadmap for future collaboration with the African diaspora on reparatory justice.
“The Accra Reparations Convention is, due to this fact, well timed to facilitate dialogue on the reparations agenda,” she mentioned, including that Caribbean leaders have tabled vital proposals for cooperation with the African Union.
“They’d welcome collaboration to co-sponsor a decision on reparations on the United Nations, to sign our joint dedication and our place that reparatory justice should obtain due consideration by the United Nations.”
Barnett mentioned the regional international locations will search an advisory opinion from the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ) by the United Nations Normal Meeting.
“We invite the African Union to affix us on this marketing campaign. We’re additionally working to have reparations included on the agenda of key conferences of intergovernmental our bodies. We hope to ascertain acceptable mechanisms to facilitate cooperation on reparations between CARICOM and Africa, together with the proposed joint CARICOM-African Union committee of authorized specialists.”
Barnett said that CARICOM welcomes the institution and glorious advocacy, consultative, and analysis initiatives of the UN Everlasting Discussion board on Folks of African Descent and anticipates deepening collaboration with this physique, which incorporates two distinguished CARICOM representatives.
She mentioned the CARICOM-Africa cooperation has elevated in a number of areas following the First CARICOM-Africa Summit of Heads of Authorities held in September 2021.
“Afro-Caribbean Commerce and Funding Boards have been held in Barbados and Guyana in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The AU-ECOSOCC Examine Tour on Reparations was held in Barbados in July 2023. The Caribbean Neighborhood has additionally participated within the Reparations and Racial Therapeutic Summit in August 2022 in Ghana. It welcomes the elevated give attention to the return of stolen cultural property to each the Caribbean and Africa.”
She urged the convention to grab the second and make sure that CARICOM, Africa, and others from the diaspora converse with one voice to advance the simply and robust name for reparations for the crimes in opposition to humanity of native genocide, the trans-Atlantic commerce in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.
In the meantime, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has known as for reparations for Africa, saying reparations should accompany the restitution of African cultural properties stolen from the continent.
“The results of the slave commerce have been devastating to the continent and the African diaspora. All the interval of slavery meant that our progress, economically, culturally, and psychologically, was stifled,” he mentioned.
“It’s time for Africa’s 20 million of whose little children had their freedoms curtailed and offered into slavery, additionally to obtain reparations,” he added.
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