President John Dramani Mahama is set to lead Ghana’s delegation to the United Nations this week, positioning the country at the forefront of global advocacy for reparatory justice over the transatlantic slave trade.
The President departs Accra on Monday, March 23, 2026, for engagements in New York and Pennsylvania, in what officials describe as a historic diplomatic mission aimed at deepening international discourse on historical injustice.
At the heart of the visit is a High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice at the UN Headquarters on Tuesday, where President Mahama is expected to deliver the keynote address. The event, themed “Reparatory Justice for the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans,” will convene global leaders and policymakers to reflect on the enduring legacy of slavery and the pathway towards reparations.
On Wednesday, March 25, the President will address the UN General Assembly as part of activities marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. He is expected to articulate Ghana’s position—already endorsed by the African Union—on a landmark resolution seeking to formally recognise the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
As part of a solemn itinerary, President Mahama will lay a wreath at the African Burial Ground National Monument, paying tribute to enslaved Africans whose lives shaped the course of history. The diplomatic journey will also extend into academia and diaspora engagement. The President is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at Lincoln University and later interact with the Ghanaian community at Temple University.
The visit underscores Ghana’s strategic ambition to amplify Africa’s voice in the global reparations dialogue—an effort that seeks not only acknowledgment of past injustices but a structured framework for restorative justice in the modern era.