UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised the British government for abstaining from a United Nations General Assembly resolution that described the transatlantic slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity and called for reparations.
The resolution, introduced by Ghana, urged the creation of a reparations fund to address the long-term damage caused by slavery and encouraged countries to consider formal apologies. However, it did not specify any monetary amount.
Reacting in a post on X, Badenoch argued that the motion could expose British taxpayers to massive financial demands and questioned why the UK did not vote against it.
She wrote that countries such as Russia, China, and Iran supported the measure and accused the Labour government of choosing to abstain instead of opposing it, asking whether the decision was due to “ignorance…or cowardice.”
The resolution received overwhelming backing at the UN, with 123 countries voting in favour. Argentina, Israel, and the United States voted against it, while 52 countries — mostly European nations including Britain, Portugal, and Spain — abstained. Nigeria and many African countries supported the motion.
The transatlantic slave trade saw an estimated 15 million Africans forcibly transported to the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries. Many died during the Middle Passage, while survivors faced forced labour and systemic abuse.
Badenoch argued that Britain should not pay reparations, stating that the country played a leading role in abolishing slavery and continues to oppose it today.
Born in London to Nigerian parents, Badenoch spent part of her childhood in Lagos before returning to the UK at 16. Since becoming Conservative Party leader in 2024, she has drawn criticism for several controversial remarks about Nigeria and her identity, including saying she no longer identifies as Nigerian and describing her upbringing as shaped by corruption and political dysfunction.
