Reparations should not be reduced to a cheque - French President

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged that discussions on reparations for slavery should not be narrowed down to financial payments alone, but should also include broader efforts such as truth-telling, education, memorialisation and restitution.

Speaking at the High-Level Consultative Conference on “Next Steps” under the 'United Nations Resolution on enslaved Africans' in Accra on June 18, 2026, he said reparative justice should not be treated as something that ends with monetary compensation.

He explained that reparations can come in different forms aimed at recognising historical injustices and keeping the memory of slavery alive.

“Reparations, because this is also what it comes down to when we speak of justice, can take different forms as I mentioned several days ago and as John Dramani Mahama has underlined on several occasions.

“History cannot be reduced to a simple accounting ledger. Making reparations is about placing the importance of scientific and historical truth; building monuments, teaching, and researching. It means returning the works of art that were stolen during those periods,” he said.

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Macron further said reparative justice also includes resolving lingering historical issues, pointing to ongoing discussions with Haiti as an example.

“Reparations also involves the ability to work out situations as we are currently doing with Haiti. It can be approached from multiple perspectives, but in no case should it be seen as an endpoint, a cheque written to bring the story to a close,” he said.

He emphasised that the legacy of slavery remains an ongoing historical reality that requires continued remembrance, dialogue and efforts toward restitution.

“The history will live on, and we must continue to bear its names, memories, faces and to make amends, make progress and discuss the future,” he added.

Macron also reiterated France’s readiness to support global efforts aimed at historical recognition and reparative justice.

“I would like to reiterate my commitment to stand with you. You can count on France,” he said.

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