Jamaica supports call for Commonwealth to prioritise reparations

Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith is supporting calls at the 27th Commonwealth summit for reparations for enslavement to be prioritised by the group, which includes many former slave colonies.

“This conference will also have the opportunity to lay the foundation for future discussions on reparations in respect of the transatlantic slave trade which is a critical matter for several members of the Commonwealth," she said, according to a statement issued on Friday by her ministry. 

Many of the 56-member group were former slave colonies of the United Kingdom, whose monarch, King Charles is the ceremonial leader of the Commonwealth. He is also head of state for several nations, including Jamaica.

King Charles did not directly address the reparations issue during an address on Friday. "I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate. It is vital therefore, that we understand our history to guide us to make the right choices in the future,” he said.

“Where inequalities exist … we must find the right ways and the right language to address them. As we look around the world and consider its many deeply concerning challenges, let us choose within our Commonwealth family, the language of community and respect and reject the language of division.”

Charles, who is attending his first Commonwealth heads of government meeting since taking the throne, said: "None of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right the inequalities that endure". 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected calls for reparations and ruled out apologising for the country's historic role but said he was open to engaging with leaders who want to discuss it, Reuters news agency has reported. 

It also said the UK Guardian newspaper, citing a source from Starmer's office, reported late on Thursday that the prime minister had "opened the door to non-financial reparations", such as restructuring financial institutions and providing debt relief.

CARICOM has been among the biggest supporters of the reparations movement. 

Last year, Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland disclosed, to the shock of advocates that reparation was not an agenda item for the Commonwealth. 

“There has been no specific call for the Commonwealth to be the platform,” she told The Sunday Gleaner. 

Member states, she reminded, are sovereign, and “nobody can force them to put things on the agenda if they don't wish it”.

The conference in Samoa, held under the theme "One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth," marks a milestone as the first CHOGM hosted by a Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS). It started on Monday and will end tomorrow. 

“This CHOGM represents a landmark... noting that sixty-six percent of the Commonwealth comprises SIDS,” Johnson Smith stated. She highlighted that Jamaica, a vocal advocate for SIDS and highly indebted middle-income countries, will focus on financing for development, climate change solutions, and artificial intelligence, underscoring the urgent need for financial backing to tackle these issues.

The minister's packed agenda includes high-level meetings and speaking engagements on resilient economic growth, convened by the UK's Foreign Secretary, and climate vulnerability, hosted by Bangladesh. She is also expected to meet with top officials from Malta, Rwanda, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, Jamaican delegates are involved in youth, women, and civil society forums, with discussions ranging from resilience for young people to economic empowerment for women. 

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