By Albert Allotey, GNA
Accra, Nov. 04, GNA – The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) has welcomed the encouraging position expressed by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, regarding Britain’s historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and his openness to considering a formal apology.
GITFiC considers this position as an important first step towards historical accountability and an important engagement with the enduring economic consequences of slavery.
This development resonates with the deliberations at GITFiC’s 10th Annual Meeting, held on 14th October 2026 in Accra, which marked the 3rd Global Debt Initiative.
Speakers at the conference advanced the proposition of Reparatory Justice as a Tool for Debt Swap, highlighting the need to translate historical acknowledgement into more practical financial solutions for African and Caribbean countries.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said GITFiC believed that debt swaps, as a potential expression of financial reparation, could provide an innovative pathway towards converting eligible debt obligations into investments in development, infrastructure, and economic transformation.
It said “While acknowledging the distinction between an apology, debt restructuring and financial reparations, GITFiC encourages the UK Prime Minister to give further consideration to the role of debt swaps in advancing meaningful reparatory justice.”
The statement stated that Reparatory Justice must go beyond acknowledgement as its true significance laid in the economic opportunities and transformative outcomes it could deliver for affected nations.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo