Ghana And Trinidad And Tobago Are Establishing A Joint Mechanism For Compensation Justice.

On November 5th, Ghana News reported that Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago are discussing the establishment of a specialized mechanism, which is proposed to be jointly chaired by the African Union and the Caribbean Community, in order to advance the justice agenda for compensation and to conduct structured negotiations with the UK on the issue of historical slavery. This idea was proposed by Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Minister Sean S.M. Sobers during a bilateral meeting at the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Antigua and Barbuda. The two foreign ministers believed that the existing platforms such as the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers' Conference were too broad and could not accommodate sustained and focused compensation dialogues, so a dedicated platform was needed to unify the stance of the UK and other relevant parties. They emphasized that the justice for compensation should not be limited to monetary compensation, but should also include recognition of historical injustice, reconciliation, guarantees of no recurrence, and efforts to promote a fairer international order; the UK also proposed additional development-oriented arrangements such as expansion of scholarships, medical and hospital infrastructure support, improvement of educational facilities, and climate cooperation. On November 3rd, Ablakwa also welcomed the report that the UK was reportedly willing to consider a formal apology and structured dialogue. The report reviewed Ghana's progress over the past year: On March 25, 2026, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution A/RES/80/250 with 123 votes in favor, 3 against, and 52 abstentions, recognizing transatlantic slavery and racialized movable property slavery as the most serious crimes against humanity, led by President Mahama who advocated for compensation issues; subsequently, Ghana held a high-level consultation meeting in Accra and established three international expert groups and drafted a five-year action plan. Both sides also regarded Ghana's leadership role in the African Union in 2027 and Trinidad and Tobago's assumption of the rotating chairmanship of the Caribbean Community in January 2028 as windows for progress.