Commonwealth leaders agreed “now is the time” to start a conversation about reparations for the slave trade, despite the UK's desire to keep the subject off the agenda of a two-day summit days in Samoa.
A document signed by 56 heads of government, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, acknowledges calls for “discussions on restorative justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade.
The statement said it's time to have a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation.”
Sir Keir said there was no discussion of money at the meeting and that the UK was “very clear” in its position that it would not pay reparations.
The UK is facing growing calls from Commonwealth leaders to apologize and pay reparations for the country's historic role in the slave trade.
Reparations for those who suffered from slavery can take many forms, ranging from financial to symbolic.
Before the summit, Downing Street insisted the issue would not be on the agenda.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Sir Keir said Commonwealth leaders had had a “positive two days” in Samoa and downplayed the importance of reparations at the summit.
“The overarching theme of these two days has been resilience and climate,” he said, adding that the section of the joint statement dealing with reparations amounts to “one paragraph out of about 20 paragraphs.”
“None of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear on that,” he said.
Last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC that the UK would not pay reparations for slavery.
Before the statement was released, the leaders' conclave – where Commonwealth prime ministers and presidents meet without advisers – lasted around six hours.
The Prime Minister said it was not the discussion of reparations that had kept the debate going so long.
A Downing Street source told the BBC: “We have been clear on our position and it is not changing. »
And they did and it didn't – in fact, the blunt nature of their remarks about reparations on the way to the summit irritated some of the countries that were campaigning for it.
Half the art of diplomacy is getting the things you want to talk about—keeping the conversation going, even if the prospect of imminent change is unlikely.
For those who believe the time has come for countries like the UK to confront their past, the statement allows them to affirm that the conversation continues.
For the UK and others, they can assert that their position is not changing and also highlight a range of other issues – trade, climate change and security for example – on which they say the Commonwealth offers a vital forum.
However, the Prime Minister appeared to leave the door open for further discussions on some form of restorative justice, saying the “next opportunity to consider this issue” would be at the UK-Caribbean forum in 2025.
