UK urged to engage in discussions on slave trade reparations
Commonwealth nation leaders committed to engaging in discussions aimed at addressing the injustices caused by slavery. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Commonwealth leaders gathered in Samoa have made a formal request to the UK for “discussions” related to compensation for the Transatlantic slave trade. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempted to keep this topic off the agenda but was unsuccessful. The UK government has dismissed the idea of monetary reparations and has yet to issue a formal apology.
Last year, the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, assessed that the UK owed over £18 trillion in reparations for its role in slavery across 14 Caribbean nations. The Commonwealth consists of more than 50 countries, primarily former territories of the British Empire.
Starmer had previously indicated that discussions on compensation would not be part of the meeting agenda, asserting that the UK would neither be “offering an apology” nor providing reparations for slavery, which spanned three centuries.
A communique signed by all 56 member states characterized slavery as a “crime against humanity” and expressed “calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the Transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.”
The document further stated, “The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” and emphasized that leaders would continue to actively engage in “inclusive conversations addressing these harms.”
Earlier this month, reports surfaced in the British tabloid The Daily Mail that some Caribbean nations were pursuing “an astonishing £200 billion” in compensation for slavery during the Samoa meeting.
In a post-summit press conference, Starmer acknowledged that slavery was “abhorrent,” yet he sidestepped the notion of financial reparations. “I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he stated, stressing that the summit's focus was primarily on “resilience and climate.”
In August, UN judge Patrick Robinson pointed out that the UK could not ignore demands for reparations related to slavery, noting that the amount estimated by the Brattle Group was an “underestimation” of the damage inflicted by the institution of slavery.
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
Last year, the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, assessed that the UK owed over £18 trillion in reparations for its role in slavery across 14 Caribbean nations. The Commonwealth consists of more than 50 countries, primarily former territories of the British Empire.
Starmer had previously indicated that discussions on compensation would not be part of the meeting agenda, asserting that the UK would neither be “offering an apology” nor providing reparations for slavery, which spanned three centuries.
A communique signed by all 56 member states characterized slavery as a “crime against humanity” and expressed “calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the Transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.”
The document further stated, “The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” and emphasized that leaders would continue to actively engage in “inclusive conversations addressing these harms.”
Earlier this month, reports surfaced in the British tabloid The Daily Mail that some Caribbean nations were pursuing “an astonishing £200 billion” in compensation for slavery during the Samoa meeting.
In a post-summit press conference, Starmer acknowledged that slavery was “abhorrent,” yet he sidestepped the notion of financial reparations. “I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he stated, stressing that the summit's focus was primarily on “resilience and climate.”
In August, UN judge Patrick Robinson pointed out that the UK could not ignore demands for reparations related to slavery, noting that the amount estimated by the Brattle Group was an “underestimation” of the damage inflicted by the institution of slavery.
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
