The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, has emphasised that the bloc supports the moral basis of the recent United Nations resolution on the transatlantic slave trade, insisting its decision to abstain should not be misconstrued as opposition.
The resolution, championed by President John Dramani Mahama, recognises the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity and has reignited global conversations on reparatory justice, historical accountability, and reconciliation.
In all, 123 countries voted in favour of the resolution, three voted against, while 52 — including EU member states — abstained.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, March 28, Skinnebach explained that the EU participated constructively in negotiations in New York and put forward several proposals that were ultimately not reflected in the final text.
He noted that although the EU did not vote against the resolution, its abstention was based on specific concerns arising from the negotiation process.
“We have been trying to engage constructively also in New York in the debate around this resolution. We have come up with a couple of suggestions, they have not been taken on board. This is fine.
“I understand the rules of the game but what I am saying is, we did we did not vote against. We abstained for very clear reasons. It does not mean however that we do not support the moral underpinnings of this resolution.
“It does not mean that we don’t want to engage in a forward looking unified approach to address the legacy of slavery. It does not mean that we have not addressed this legacy in the past also,” he said.