The United States has defended its decision to reject the United Nations (UN) resolution declaring slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as one of the greatest injustices against humanity.
The resolution was adopted on Wednesday with 123 votes in
favour and three against – the US, Israel and Argentina.
The United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) member
states were among 52 countries that abstained from voting.
Ghanaian President John Mahama, who led the resolution, said
it was necessary, noting that the consequences of slavery, including racial
disparities, still persist.
However, in an X post on Friday, the US mission to the UN
criticised the multilateral body’s choice of priorities.
“President Trump has made clear that the UN needs to return
to its core mission of keeping peace and resolving conflict. For too long,
America has been dragged into foreign conflicts—ones the UN should prevent,”
the post reads.
“Instead, the UN issues reports and holds meetings on issues
completely unrelated to this mission. Seven UN agencies list climate change as
a core mission, for example.
“This latest resolution is a perfect example of the UN’s
unseriousness.”
The mission noted that the US backs efforts to address “a
very real and current problem in human trafficking and human slavery” but
frowned at the resolution which seeks to address centuries-old events.
“Moral grandstanding on settled questions is unproductive.
The transatlantic slave trade was horrific, but the UN has an opportunity to
make a difference for people suffering from today’s conflicts,” the mission
said.
The US stressed its condemnation of slavery, saying it would
have voted yes on a resolution saying just that.
“Passing this resolution is the type of unhelpful activity
that gives the UN a bad name,” the post added.
The resolution urges member states to consider apologising
for the transatlantic slave trade and contributing to an unspecified
reparations fund.
On Thursday, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives,
questioned the UK’s decision to abstain from the resolution, saying Britain
should not be paying for a crime it helped eradicate and still fights today.
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