Ghana is seeking to bring reparations for slavery and colonialism into the financing frameworks of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, in a move to secure additional development resources for countries affected by centuries of historical exploitation.
Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Ghana’s Presidential Special Envoy for Reparations, told the Ghana News Agency that the government had drafted a proposal outlining how reparatory justice could be incorporated into the two institutions’ financing frameworks.
Spio-Garbrah disclosed the initiative on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, adding that the document had been circulated within the Ghanaian government but had not yet been formally submitted to either institution.
“The reparational agenda has not yet entered formally into this development financial institutional area, but I’m preparing for that necessity and possibility,” he said.
The proposal seeks to move the reparations debate beyond historical recognition and formal apologies towards practical financial arrangements that could help address economic inequalities rooted in slavery and colonial rule.
Spio-Garbrah said the draft had been presented to the presidency, the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, and the Bank of Ghana to help establish a coordinated national position.
However, Ghana has yet to disclose the proposed financing mechanism, including whether it would involve grants, concessional loans, debt relief or a dedicated reparations fund.
Integrating reparatory financing into the IMF and World Bank frameworks would also raise questions about the institutions’ mandates, funding sources and eligibility criteria, potentially requiring negotiations among their member countries.
The IMF primarily supports macroeconomic stability and provides financing to countries facing balance-of-payments difficulties, while the World Bank focuses on long-term development financing.
Africa and Caribbean Intensify Reparations Campaign
Ghana’s initiative comes as African and Caribbean governments step up efforts to translate longstanding demands for reparations into concrete economic and political commitments.
In June, the African Union and the Caribbean Community’s reparations commission endorsed a 19-point framework at a conference in Accra, calling for formal apologies, financial compensation, debt relief and reforms to international financial institutions.
The framework also backed the establishment of a Global Reparations Fund to support countries and communities affected by slavery and colonial exploitation.
Spio-Garbrah said Ghana was also advocating legislation to establish national reparations councils across the African Union’s 55 member states to coordinate the continent’s efforts.
He cited Germany’s proposed €1.1 billion reconstruction and development programme for Namibia, following its acknowledgement of the genocide committed against the Herero and Nama peoples during colonial rule, as an example of initiatives addressing historical atrocities.
However, the programme has faced objections from affected communities, which reject Germany’s position that the funding constitutes development assistance rather than reparations.
The Netherlands has separately allocated €200 million to initiatives addressing its history of slavery, including education, research, remembrance and community programmes. The funding does not provide for direct individual compensation.
UN Resolution Adds Diplomatic Momentum
Ghana’s proposal also follows a diplomatic push at the United Nations, where the General Assembly adopted a resolution in March declaring the trafficking and racialised enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution, spearheaded by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, received 123 votes in favour, while the United States, Israel and Argentina voted against it. Another 52 countries abstained, including Britain and several European nations.
Although the resolution strengthened international diplomatic support for reparatory justice, it is not legally binding and does not establish an enforceable mechanism requiring countries to pay compensation.
