Brazil has pledged its support for President John Dramani Mahama’s campaign at the United Nations to have the transatlantic slave trade formally recognised as the gravest crime against humanity.

The endorsement, announced by Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, came during discussions with Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the CELAC-Africa Summit in Colombia on Saturday, March 21.

The move is expected to bolster growing international backing for Ghana’s initiative, which seeks to advance the global conversation on reparatory justice.

Brazil’s support carries symbolic weight, reflecting the country’s historical ties to Africa and its status as home to the largest population of people of African descent outside the continent.

President Mahama is scheduled to table a historic resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking to declare the Transatlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime against humanity on March 25, 2026.

This is part of efforts to secure recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, a milestone advocates say is essential for addressing the enduring legacy of slavery.