Ghana says diplomatic engagement on reparatory justice is widening, with the United States and several European countries expressing willingness to work with Accra despite differences over a recent UN resolution.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed the diplomatic outreach during a high-level side event on reparatory justice hosted by President John Dramani Mahama in New York on September 23, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Ablakwa said the United States had formally notified Ghana of its willingness to begin working with the country on the reparatory justice agenda, despite voting against the UN resolution adopted in March.
“We have received formal notice from the United States of America that even though they voted against this resolution, they are willing to begin to work with us towards that fair and just world we all seek,” he said.
The United States was one of three countries that voted against the resolution, which received 123 votes in favour, while 52 countries abstained.
The minister also named the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark among European countries that had expressed readiness to collaborate with Ghana. Portugal, he said, had similarly indicated interest following a bilateral meeting with its foreign minister.
Germany and France, which co-hosted the New York event with Ghana, were also engaging on the agenda. Ablakwa said the outreach demonstrated that Ghana’s push for reparatory justice was not intended to divide countries, but to create opportunities for dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation.
The diplomatic engagement comes as Ghana seeks to move reparatory justice from international recognition towards practical measures. The campaign’s initial focus is the restitution of African cultural artefacts held in foreign museums and collections.
Ablakwa said France, Germany and the Netherlands had expressed willingness to return artefacts in their possession. Separately, President Mahama highlighted the Netherlands’ cataloguing of approximately 2,000 Ghanaian artefacts for return, alongside Germany’s engagement with the Kpando Traditional Area.
Beyond restitution, Ghana’s broader reparatory justice agenda includes calls for formal apologies, debt relief and financial compensation. These proposals form part of the Accra Next Steps commitments, developed following a June 2026 conference that brought together representatives from Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora.
At the UNGA event, Mahama outlined a framework focused on advancing restitution, establishing lasting international mechanisms for reparatory justice and investing in Africa’s cultural infrastructure.
