U.S. Votes No to Recognising Slavery as “The Gravest Crime Against Humanity”

More than 120 countries at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to declare the transatlantic slave trade “the gravest crime against humanity”, but three countries stood against it.

The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted no, while 123 countries supported the resolution and 52 abstained.

The resolution calls for reparations and the return of cultural treasures to their countries of origin. African and Caribbean nations say it’s a step toward justice and healing for millions of Africans who were enslaved over centuries.

The United States explained its position before the vote. Deputy Ambassador Dan Negrea said that while the U.S. condemns slavery, it does not agree with the idea of reparations, especially for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time.

The U.S. also objected to the wording of the resolution, arguing that calling slavery the “gravest” crime could create a ranking of human suffering. “The assertion that some crimes against humanity are less severe than others objectively diminishes the suffering of countless victims,” Negrea said. 

Israel and Argentina joined the U.S. in voting no, though they did not offer detailed public explanations for their decisions.

Meanwhile, countries like the United Kingdom and all 27 members of the European Union were among the 52 countries that abstained from voting.

In the Caribbean, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) welcomed the resolution as a historic step forward, noting that all its member states voted in favour of the Ghana-led resolution.