The BBC has reported that Commonwealth leaders are gearing up to explore reparatory justice related to the transatlantic slave trade, a move that challenges the United Kingdom’s stance. Despite Downing Street’s assertion that the issue is not on the official agenda for the Commonwealth summit in Samoa, diplomatic sources reveal ongoing negotiations to conduct further research and initiate “meaningful conversations” about reparatory justice—an area that could see the UK potentially facing claims worth billions.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Frederick Mitchell, the foreign minister of the Bahamas, remarked, “Once you broach the subject it may take a while for people to come around, but come around they will.” Reparations, he suggested, could take various forms, from financial compensation and debt relief to educational programs, museums, economic support, and public health initiatives.
The draft communique for the summit, shared with the BBC, outlines a commitment by Commonwealth leaders to engage in “a meaningful, truthful, and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.”
