Ghana to Host Global ‘Next Steps’ Summit on Reparatory Justice June 17-19 as World Moves from Resolution to Action
Accra conference to deliver framework, global panels, and first international commemoration of Juneteenth at Osu Castle
Ghana will host a high-level international conference from June 17 to 19, 2026 to chart the “next steps” for reparatory justice, following the adoption of a UN resolution championed by President John Dramani Mahama in his capacity as African Union Champion on Reparatory Justice.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced details of the summit in Accra, saying the gathering marks a shift from recognition to implementation.
“The resolution championed by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Reparatory Justice in collaboration with 54 members of the African Union, Caribbean, and the people of African descent worldwide received the support of 123 member states,” Ablakwa said.
“This historic endorsement represents one of the strongest international acknowledgments of the enduring impact of slavery and colonial exploitation, and the urgent need for meaningful engagement on reparatory justice. However, as I stated following the adoption of the resolution, this achievement was never intended to be the destination; rather, it marked the beginning of a new phase in a global movement dedicated to justice, restoration, and healing.”
From Resolution to Action
The 3-day “Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice” will be held under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama, President and Commander-in-Chief and AU Champion on Reparatory Justice.
“Today, that journey enters an exciting and transformative stage from the 17th to the 19th of June 2026. This week the Republic of Ghana will host a high-level Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice here in Accra,” Ablakwa said.
He described the conference as “more than a conference, this gathering represents a strategic turning point, an opportunity to transform global consensus into coordinated action.”
“The objective is clear: to move from recognition to implementation, to move from declarations to frameworks, to move from aspirations to concrete action,” he added.
Expected Outcomes
Ablaze said the conference will deliver five major outcomes:
1. Provide a platform for dialogue on the implications of Resolution A/RES/80/250 for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
2. Address fragmentation in global advocacy by developing a “comprehensive global post-adoption framework” for coordinated action.
3. Produce a substantive conference report to feed into the UN Secretary-General’s report to the 82nd session of the UN General Assembly.
4. Establish three new global mechanisms: a Global Advisory Panel for Reparatory Justice, an Expert Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Artifacts, and a Legal Panel for Reparatory Justice.
5. Institutionalize a transcontinental high-level consultative forum on reparations for continuity among stakeholders across Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, North America, and other regions.
3-Day Program
The conference opens June 17 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with senior officials and technical experts shaping the global post-adoption framework.
On June 18 at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City, heads of state, foreign ministers, and experts will hold the high-level segment and inaugurate the global panels. Six thematic panels will cover: strengthening transcontinental cooperation for Resolution A/RES/70/250, advancing a unified framework for reparatory justice, the role of law, the economics of restitution, government-civil society partnerships, and “unpacking reparatory justice.”
The summit closes June 19 at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City, with adoption of the conference outcome document.
Juneteenth at Osu Castle
Delegates will then proceed to Osu Castle for a commemorative event. “This fortress stood as a point of departure for countless African men, women, and children who were forcibly separated… through the door of no return,” Ablakwa said.
“The gathering will take on a traditional dimension, symbolically bringing together the past, present, and the future in a uniquely African expression of remembrance, unity, and renewal.”
The June 19 date coincides with Juneteenth in the U.S., and Ghana will hold the first Juneteenth commemoration outside the United States at Osu Castle. Expected guests include Dr. Marcus Garvey Jr., son of Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, and Rev. Al Sharpton.
Confirmed Leaders
Ablakwa confirmed participation by several heads of state and government for keynote addresses:
– President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal
– President Joseph Boakai, Liberia
– President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia
– Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Barbados
– President Adama Barrow, The Gambia
– President Horta Inta-, Guinea-Bissau
“Ghana is pleased to acknowledge the wide array of confirmed guests, which cut across politics, civil society, academia, research, media, gender, and… activists who have been on this journey before some of us were born, including my good self,” Ablakwa said.
