Britain has confirmed that reparations for the transatlantic slave trade will not be part of its formal agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, despite increasing calls for dialogue on the issue. This development was announced by a spokesperson for Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, who reiterated that Britain would neither offer an apology nor pay reparations for the historical slave trade. However, the spokesperson added that Britain will continue to engage with its partners on this issue. Meanwhile, CARICOM (Caribbean Community), which has been advocating for reparations, intends to raise the issue at the summit. This aligns with the words of Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who pledged in July that CARICOM would push for reparations “very forcefully” during the meeting. While proponents of reparation argue that it addresses persistent racial inequalities, its opponents claim that countries should not be held accountable for historical wrongs.
SOURCE: REUTERS