During the 48th heads of government meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell expressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the need for former colonial powers to apologize and provide compensation for their historical involvement in the enslavement of Africans.
Addressing von der Leyen, Mitchell emphasized the importance of reparations and stated, "We owe it to ourselves and future generations of humanity to ensure (slavery) is accepted as a crime against humanity, and that appropriate apology and compensation is paid, and that the international community accepts this should never happen again."
In response to Mitchell's remarks, von der Leyen acknowledged that "slavery is a crime against humanity" and highlighted the need to defend the dignity and universal rights of all individuals.
The historical enslavement of at least 12.5 million Africans between the 15th and 19th centuries by European merchants has sparked longstanding calls for reparations globally, with momentum growing among groups such as the African Union (AU).
CARICOM and the AU have developed reparation plans that include calls for technology transfers, investments to address health crises, and combat illiteracy.
In 2023, the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) recognized the "untold suffering" caused by slavery in their summit's final statement, referencing CARICOM's reparations plan in their joint commitment to address this painful legacy.