Ex-St Vincent PM Gonsalves Criticises UK Over Abstention in UN Slavery Vote

“It is so offensive to humanity that it has always been a crime against humanity”, Ralph Gonsalves, former Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He also criticised the United States, Israel and Argentina, who voted against the historic UN Resolution, which was brought forward by Ghana.

Last week, the UN voted to recognise transatlantic slavery as ‌the “gravest crime against humanity.”

Gonsalves has dismissed the UK’s justification for abstaining, calling it “offensive”, according to the St Vincent Times.

Picture @Ralph Gonsalves Facebook

According to the local news outlet, he detailed how the UK’s representative, James Kariuki, acknowledged the “untold harm and misery” of slavery but argued against a “hierarchy of historical atrocities” and claimed there was no legal duty to provide reparations because slavery was not a violation of international law at the time. Gonsalves has dismissed this justification and described it as offensive.

In addition, 52 countries including the United Kingdom and European Union abstained. Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama, proposed the resolution, which was put forward to 193 countries to cast their vote on 25 March, which is also International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery & Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.