Commonwealth leaders concur it is time to discuss slavery reparations

Monday, October 28th 2024 - 08:11 UTC

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Starmer downplayed the prominence of reparations on the summit’s agenda

Commonwealth leaders agreed during a Heads of Government meeting in Samoa Friday that it was time to discuss reparations from the United Kingdom for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. ”The time has come for a meaningful, truthful, and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” the leaders said in a statement.

The joint declaration also addressed the matter of “blackbirding”, a term referring to people deceived, coerced, or kidnapped to work on plantations as the feeling that former slave-trading powers should pay reparations or make other amends is gaining momentum worldwide, particularly among the Caribbean Community and the African Union, where the legacy of slavery has led to vast and persistent racial inequality. The document never mentioned what form these reparations should take. But it did address “the severe consequences of the climate crisis, including rising temperatures and sea levels.”

The declaration recognized “the importance of this matter to member states of the Commonwealth, the majority of which share common historical experiences in relation to this abhorrent trade.”

“We’ve actually had a very positive two days here in Samoa,” said British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who also downplayed the prominence of reparations on the summit’s agenda, saying: “The theme of the day was chosen by the prime minister here in Samoa, and she chose resilience and climate,” insisted the Labour leader. “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 added, although he remained open to helping those nations seeking reparations secure cheaper finance for dealing with climate change. The “next opportunity” to discuss the issue would be at a UK-Caribbean forum next year, Starmer also explained.

Categories: Politics, International.

Tags: Commonwealth countries, PM Sir Keir Starmer, Slavery reparations.

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Islander1
Yes Slavery was a terrible thing - but was in a different world- centuries ago lots of things people did to each other were despicable by todays standards- but it was a different world back then.

Funny Thing- no mention from the likes of Nigeria and Ghana about how much gold and silver several of their Tribal Kings of 200 years ago made in rounding up and selling off their Own people to the slavers!
Nor the fact that the UK alone declared the slave trade illegal around 1830 and the Royal Navy then fought alone for several decades to try and prevent the slave ships operating and lost many ships and thousands of men. So why just pick on UK as lots of other Nations were in it as well - and carried on after the UK banned the trade.
Nor any mention of the African Countries who even today still allow and practise slavery.
Maybe time to wind up the Commonwealth Organisation if it insists on this hypocritical two faced route.
Oct 28th, 2024 - 12:33 pm +2
Esteban Domingo Fernandez
Does the UK get reparations from Italy enslaved by the Roman Empire , or from the Vikings in Norway, or the French Normans, what about the Arab slavery, Chinese Slavery or the Ottoman Slavery, what about black Africans that enslaved their own people, What a bloody farce all this garbage is, slavery has been around for 1000s of years,
Oct 28th, 2024 - 03:41 pm +2

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