Commonwealth leaders have agreed the “time has come” for a dialog about reparations for the slave commerce, regardless of the UK’s need to maintain the topic off the agenda at a two-day summit in Samoa.
A doc signed by 56 heads of presidency, together with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, acknowledges requires “discussions on reparatory justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave commerce.
The assertion says it’s time for a “significant, truthful and respectful dialog”.
Sir Keir mentioned there had been no discussions about cash on the assembly, and that the UK is “very clear” in its place that it might not pay reparations.
The UK has confronted rising calls from Commonwealth leaders to apologise and pay reparations for the nation’s historic function within the slave commerce.
Reparations for the good thing about those that suffered on account of slavery could take many forms, from financial to symbolic.
Forward of the summit, Downing Road had insisted the problem wouldn’t be on the agenda.
Talking at a press convention on Saturday, Sir Keir mentioned Commonwealth leaders had a “optimistic two days” in Samoa and downplayed the prominence of reparations on the summit.
“The dominant theme of the 2 days has been resilience and local weather,” he mentioned, including that the part of the joint assertion discussing reparations quantities to “one paragraph in 20-something paragraphs”.
“Not one of the discussions have been about cash. Our place may be very, very clear in relation to that,” he mentioned.
Final week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves informed the BBC: “We’re not going to be paying out the reparations that some nations are talking about.”
Nonetheless, the prime minister did seem to go away the door open for additional discussions about some type of reparatory justice, saying the “subsequent alternative to have a look at this” can be on the UK-Caribbean discussion board in 2025.
