President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will host a high-level side event during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2026 to advance the global campaign for reparatory justice for Africa and people of African descent.
President Mahama made the announcement while addressing fellow African leaders at the 21st Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) in Luanda, Angola, where he provided an update on Ghana’s efforts to advance the international reparations agenda.
According to the President, the UNGA side event will provide a platform for stakeholders involved in the reparations campaign to present progress reports and outline the next steps in implementing the initiative launched in Accra.
He said the event will particularly receive updates from various panels established to advance work arising from the reparations resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2025.
The panels are expected to provide expertise and recommendations on the political, legal, historical and cultural dimensions of the reparatory justice campaign.
President Mahama also highlighted the outcomes of the Next Steps Conference held in Accra in June 2026, which brought together Heads of State, experts and other key stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the global reparations agenda.
The conference expanded the scope of the initiative to include indentured labour as a historical injustice and led to the establishment of specialised bodies to deepen the campaign.
They include the High-Level Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, the Global Experts Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Heritage and the Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice.
President Mahama, who was recognised as the African Union Champion for Reparations during the June conference, said Ghana remains committed to providing leadership in the pursuit of justice, restitution and dignity for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
He said the upcoming UNGA side event would offer an opportunity to assess the progress of the various panels and strengthen international cooperation towards achieving reparatory justice.
President Mahama said:
“In June this year, we convened the Next Steps Conference in Accra. We expanded our mandate to include indentured labour as a historical injustice. We also established a High-Level Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, a Global Experts Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Heritage, and a Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice.
“As a follow-up, Ghana will host a high-level side event during the 81st UN General Assembly Session this September to receive progress reports from our established panels.
“I have invited all Heads of State to join us as we continue to lead the charge for justice, restitution, and dignity for Africa and people of African descent worldwide.”
The announcement reinforces Ghana’s efforts to position itself at the centre of the international campaign for reparations and broader recognition of the historical injustices suffered by Africans and people of African descent.
