Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is in Accra, Ghana, where she is participating in a high-level international conference aimed at advancing discussions on reparatory justice, historical recognition and restitution following the adoption of a landmark United Nations resolution on the trafficking and enslavement of Africans.
The High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps to the United Nations Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans, hosted by Ghana, brings together Heads of State and Government, ministers, international organisations, civil society representatives, researchers and legal experts to develop practical steps towards implementing the resolution.
The three-day conference, taking place from 17 to 19 June 2026, follows the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, which recognises the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as a crime against humanity.
The meeting seeks to translate the resolution into actionable commitments through the development of a Global Post-Adoption Framework focused on historical justice, accountability, restitution and reparatory measures.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s participation highlights Namibia’s continued engagement in international discussions on reparations and historical redress, particularly regarding the legacy of colonial dispossession and the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama communities between 1904 and 1908.
The conference, hosted by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in his capacity as African Union Champion for Reparations, is expected to conclude with the adoption of an outcome document outlining a global approach towards advancing reparatory justice.
The gathering also coincides with Juneteenth commemorations, which mark the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, and aims to strengthen global solidarity around the pursuit of justice and recognition for people of African descent.
During the conference, leaders are expected to discuss the establishment of global panels focusing on reparatory justice, restitution of cultural artefacts and legal frameworks for reparations.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is accompanied by the First Gentleman, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, and the Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi.
The Namibian delegation is expected to use the platform to advance discussions on historical accountability and strengthen cooperation with other countries on matters relating to justice, remembrance and restitution.
Photo: Namibian Presidency
