Commonwealth leaders have formally requested discussions with the UK regarding compensation for the Transatlantic slave trade at a recent gathering in Samoa.
The Commonwealth of Nations, a group of over 50 countries, many of which are former British territories, has formally requested the UK to engage in discussions about compensation for the Transatlantic slave trade. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempted to keep the subject off the agenda but was unsuccessful. The UK has explicitly rejected any monetary payments and has not offered a formal apology.
Last year, the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, determined that the UK owed over £18 trillion ($24 trillion) in reparations to 14 Caribbean countries for its role in the slave trade.
Starmer had previously declined to include discussions about compensation in the meeting’s agenda, stating that the UK would not be offering an apology or paying reparations for the atrocities that occurred over three centuries.
All 56 member states signed a communique labeling slavery as a “crime against humanity.” The communique also included “calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the Transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.”
“The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” the document stated, adding that the leaders will continue to play “an active role in bringing about such inclusive conversations addressing these harms.”
Earlier this month, the British tabloid The Daily Mail reported that a group of Caribbean countries were seeking “an astonishing £200 billion” ($261 billion) in compensation for slavery at the Samoa meeting.
During the press conference following the summit, Starmer acknowledged that slavery was “abhorrent,” but refused to address the possibility of a payout.
“I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he said, emphasizing that the summit’s agenda was primarily focused on “resilience and climate.”
In August, UN judge Patrick Robinson stated that the UK cannot ignore calls for slavery reparations, arguing that the amount calculated by the Brattle Group was an “underestimation” of the damage caused by the abolished institution.