UN: Slavery reparations are a current legal obligation under anti-discrimination treaty
A UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD) says states are legally obliged under the 1965 convention to pursue comprehensive reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, shifting from historical debate to actionable remedies. The guidance urges transformative measures—opening archives, revising public memorials, and establishing independent truth commissions—because financial compensation alone is insufficient to address ongoing racial inequalities. Some 12.5 million Africans were displaced in the slave trade; while many countries resist, the document argues present obligations require action beyond past illegality, with the EU and Britain abstaining on a related UN resolution.