UK Commits to 1-Year Slave Trade Harms Talks as Apology Option Stays Open
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Nov 5
UK Commits to 1-Year Slave Trade Harms Talks as Apology Option Stays Open
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Nov 5
Summary
Commonwealth leaders said the UK agreed in Antigua to “structured, time-bound, inclusive and good-faith” talks with affected parties on the historical harms of the transatlantic slave trade.
Around 1 year is the likely timetable, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, though officials said the exact schedule will be set later through the dialogue itself.
Andy Burnham ruled out reparations but left open a formal UK apology, and Miliband said such a step could broadly be reached by the G20 summit in Manchester next November.
The commitment was written into the 18-page CHOGM communique, reflecting pressure from Commonwealth countries seeking recognition of the slave trade’s lasting legacy.
King Charles told the summit the trade still casts a shadow over Commonwealth members, calling it a shameful chapter that fills him with horror and profound sorrow.