Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves, the former Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, has been invited to serve as a member of the newly formed Global Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice.
This invitation follows a high-level consultative conference held in Accra from June 17 to 19, 2026, which focused on the next steps for United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250 regarding the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement.
The conference brought together heads of state, ministers, jurists, and representatives from the African diaspora to address the legacy of enslavement.
During these deliberations, participants adopted the Accra Next Steps Commitments, a strategic framework designed to strengthen transcontinental cooperation and coordinate a global programme of action for reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
The Global Advisory Council was established as a high-level body of current and former leaders, scholars, and eminent personalities. Its mandate includes providing strategic leadership and political guidance to advance the global reparatory justice agenda while guiding the implementation of the landmark United Nations resolution.
In a formal letter to Gonsalves, Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa recognized the former leader’s distinguished statesmanship and his long-standing contribution to Caribbean integration and reparatory justice. Minister Ablakwa stated that Dr. Gonsalves’ leadership and experience would make an invaluable contribution to the council’s work and help strengthen the international partnerships required to move the agenda forward.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, acting as the council’s secretariat, is expected to provide further details regarding the inaugural meeting and the council’s programme of work in the near future.
Gonsalves was officially notified of the invitation through a letter of appreciation transmitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on July 21, 2026.
