Commonwealth heads of government to challenge UK on slavery reparations

Commonwealth heads of government are preparing to challenge the UK and agree plans to examine reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade, the BBC has learned.

Downing Street insists the issue is not on the agenda for the summit of the 56 Commonwealth countries, which begins on Friday in the Pacific island nation of Samoa.

But diplomatic sources said officials were negotiating a deal to carry out further research and begin a “meaningful conversation” about an issue that could potentially leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations.

Frederick Mitchell, the Bahamas’ foreign minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Once we address the issue, it may take a while for people to change their minds, but they will.”

Reparatory justice for slavery can take many forms, including financial reparations, debt relief, an official apology, educational programs, museum construction, economic support, and public health assistance.

The current text of the summit’s draft communiqué – made available to the BBC – says: “The chiefs, noting calls for discussions on restorative justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement… agreed that enough It’s time for meaningful change, true and respectful conversation to build a common future based on equity.”

It states that heads of government would play “an active role in holding such inclusive conversations about addressing these harms” and that they agreed “to prioritize and facilitate additional and additional research into the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel slavery that encourage and support the conversation and inform a way forward.”

The text – which could still change when Commonwealth leaders arrive – was drafted by diplomats before the summit. British authorities managed to block a plan for an entirely separate statement on the matter.

The UK did not want any text in the statement on reparatory justice, but at this point it has to accept that it will include three full paragraphs setting out the Commonwealth’s detailed position.

Officials at Caricom, the body representing Caribbean countries, sought to broaden the issue to encompass not only the slave trade across the Atlantic, but also the Pacific.

The draft statement says that the majority of Member States “share common historical experiences in relation to this abominable trade, chattel slavery, the debilitation and expropriation of indigenous peoples”.

It also directly refers to practices known as “blackbirding,” in which Pacific Islanders were tricked or kidnapped into working as slaves or cheap workers in colonies throughout the region.

Diplomats said the expectation now is that reparatory justice will be a central focus of the agenda for the next Commonwealth summit in two years’ time in the Caribbean, possibly in Antigua and Barbuda.

In the run-up to this year’s summit, there have been growing calls from Commonwealth leaders for the UK to apologize and make billions of pounds worth of reparations for the country’s historic role in the slave trade.

A report published last year by the University of the West Indies – backed by Patrick Robinson, a judge who sits on the International Court of Justice – concluded that the UK owed more than £18 billion in reparations for its role in slavery in 14 countries. of the Caribbean.

Last weekend, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, took advantage of the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baroness Chapman, to tell her that the fight for reparations was far from over.

Bahamian Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The word is apologise, that’s the word.”

He told the Commonwealth meeting, “It’s a simple matter – it can be done, one sentence, one line.”

Asked about the value of the reparations, Mitchell said it was not just a question of money, but of “respect, recognizing that the past was a mistake that needs to be corrected”.

He said member countries “want the conversation to start” but “there even seems to be a reluctance to start the conversation.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the UK had heard calls for slavery reparations “loud and clear” but that the Prime Minister was “right” to “focus on the future”.

A UK government spokesperson said it would not comment on the leak to the BBC, but added: “Reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The government’s position has not changed – we do not pay reparations.

“We are focused on using the summit (at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) to discuss the shared opportunities we can unlock across the Commonwealth – including securing further economic growth.”

It is understood that Downing Street’s position – that reparatory justice is not on the agenda – although technically correct, angered some Caribbean ministers when it was obvious that the issue would be discussed at the summit.

BBC political editor Chris Mason said the tenor and tone of the UK government’s language had contributed to “further angering” some members who might not have expected the UK to change its mind and “suddenly start shelling out a lot of money.”

Sir Keir Starmer landed in Samoa on Wednesday evening UK time, becoming the first sitting prime minister to visit a Pacific island nation.

Speaking to reporters en route, he said he wanted to discuss current challenges with Commonwealth leaders, especially climate change, rather than discussing issues of the past.

“What they’re most interested in is whether we can help them work with, for example, international financial institutions on the types of packages they need right now in relation to the challenges they face,” he said.

“That’s where I’m going to put my focus – and not on what will end up being very, very long, never-ending discussions about reparations for the past.

“It is clear that slavery is abominable to everyone; commerce and practice, there is no doubt about it. But I think from my point of view… I’d rather roll up my sleeves and work with them on current future challenges than spend a lot of time on the past.”