The CARICOM Reparations Commission Media Conference

Following the historic adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity (March 25, 2025), the CARICOM Reparations Commission hosted this media conference to reflect on the milestone, express gratitude to global partners, and outline the path forward.

Chaired by Dr. Hillary Brown (CARICOM Secretariat), the conference features opening remarks by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, followed by statements from the three CRC Vice Chairs,  Mr. Dorne Omar (Antigua & Barbuda), Professor Verene Shepherd (UN CERD), and Mr. Eric Phillips (Guyana Reparations Commission).

Topics covered include the significance of the UN resolution, the moral and legal case for reparatory justice, responses to arguments made by abstaining nations, direct addresses to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Catholic Church, and the commission's vision for development-centered dialogue. The Q&A session explores the Reform UK party's visa threat, the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, repatriation, and grassroots public education across the Caribbean.