Australia was among dozens of countries that abstained on a United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity”, a landmark measure adopted despite divisions among Western nations.
The resolution passed with 123 votes in favour, three against — the United States, Israel and Argentina — and 52 abstentions, according to official voting records .
Australia joined a group of abstaining countries that included the United Kingdom and several European Union members.
Proposed by Ghana and backed by African and Caribbean states, the measure seeks formal global recognition of the scale and enduring impact of the enslavement and trafficking of Africans, and calls for reparatory justice as a step toward addressing historical injustices.
Diplomats from countries that abstained said they recognised the profound suffering caused by slavery but raised concerns over elements of the text, including its potential legal implications and the notion of ranking historical atrocities.
The United States, voting against, described the resolution as “highly problematic”, objecting in part to what it saw as attempts to establish a hierarchy among crimes against humanity and to create a legal basis for reparations claims.
Ghana and its supporters rejected those criticisms, saying the declaration was not about assigning blame or reopening history but about acknowledging slavery’s “world-breaking” consequences and advancing dialogue on justice and reconciliation.
The vote, held on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, is non-binding but is expected to intensify global debates over reparations and the legacy of slavery in shaping modern inequalities.
UN General Assembly Vote – 25 March 2026
Resolution: A/RES/80/250 Summary: Yes 123 | No 3 | Abstain 52 | Non-voting 15
VOTED IN FAVOUR (123)
| Countries |
|---|
| Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize |
| Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile |
| China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, DPR Korea, DR Congo, Djibouti |
| Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia |
| Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana |
| Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan |
| Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya |
| Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia |
| Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria |
| Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea |
| Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia |
| South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname |
| Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan |
| Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan |
| Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
VOTED AGAINST (3)
| Countries |
|---|
| Argentina |
| Israel |
| United States |
ABSTENTIONS (52)
| Countries |
|---|
| Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria |
| Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada |
| Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia |
| Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany |
| Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy |
| Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg |
| Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand |
| North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Paraguay |
| Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino |
| Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Ukraine, United Kingdom |
NON-VOTING / NOT RECORDED (15)
| Countries |
|---|
| Benin |
| Bhutan |
| Bolivia |
| Ecuador |
| Kiribati |
| Madagascar |
| Nauru |
| Samoa |
| Sao Tome and Principe |
| Solomon Islands |
| Syrian Arab Republic |
| Tonga |
| Tuvalu |
| Venezuela |
