Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 April 2026
284. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the rationale for Ireland’s abstention on the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24592/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is committed to shedding light on the scale of the atrocity of the transatlantic slave trade, the importance of remembrance, and the need to continue combating slavery in its contemporary forms. We welcomed the Ghana-led African Union's initiative in advancing a dedicated UN General Assembly resolution to address one of the most heinous episodes in human history. At events to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, including at the UN General Assembly, we recognised the immense tragedy, brutality and inhumanity of the slave trade and demanded abolition of all forms of modern slavery.
The EU and its Member States engaged constructively with Ghana to address a number of concerns in the text. These included concerns round the creation of a hierarchy of crimes against humanity (the text refers to slavery as the ‘gravest’ of such crimes) compared to other crimes against humanity, as well as concerns regarding certain legal references and assertions that are either inaccurate or inconsistent with international law.
Unfortunately, the Ghanaian delegation were unwilling to take on board these concerns or to negotiate a solution that would be acceptable to a wider number of UN members. This despite a range of proposals had been made by EU and other partners throughout the negotiation process, in an attempt to agree a text that emphasised the scale of the atrocity of the transatlantic slave trade, the importance of remembrance, and the need to continue combating slavery in its contemporary form. Ireland, along with all EU Member States, abstained on the resolution. Similar concerns were shared by a wide number of countries with a total of 52 countries abstaining.
Ireland remains committed to the importance of remembrance of the atrocity of Transatlantic slavery, and the need to continue combating slavery in its contemporary forms.
