Commonwealth nations to discuss slavery reparations, climate change

APIA, SAMOA — 

The leaders of the Commonwealth radical of nations volition conscionable astatine a invited banquet successful Samoa successful the South Pacific connected Thursday, with clime alteration and reparations for Britain's relation successful the transatlantic enslaved commercialized connected the docket of acme discussions.

Leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots successful Britain's empire, arsenic good arsenic Britain's King Charles, are successful the tiny land federation and attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which began Monday. The countries' overseas ministers besides began a time of discussions connected Thursday.

More than fractional of the Commonwealth's members are tiny states, galore of which are low-lying land nations astatine hazard from rising oversea levels owed to clime change.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said ocean temperatures are rising successful the Pacific Islands astatine 3 times the complaint worldwide, and its colonisation is "uniquely exposed" to the interaction of rising oversea levels.

"Climate alteration is an existential threat. It is the fig 1 nationalist information threat. It is the fig 1 economical menace to the peoples of the Pacific and to galore members of the Commonwealth," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told a quality league aft a gathering with counterparts.

A fig of African countries, including Zambia, warned the gathering astir the escalating impacts of clime change, including the effects connected nutrient security, she added.

On Thursday, Charles volition beryllium shown the interaction of rising oversea levels that are forcing radical to determination inland, a Samoan chief said.

Island leaders are expected to contented a declaration connected water extortion astatine the summit, with clime alteration being a cardinal taxable of discussion.

Reparations push

Also connected the docket is simply a propulsion for Britain to wage reparations for transatlantic slavery, a long-standing contented that has precocious been gaining momentum worldwide, peculiarly those portion of the Caribbean Community and much precocious the African Union.

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said connected Monday the UK volition not bring the contented of reparations for humanities transatlantic slavery to the array astatine the summit, but is unfastened to prosecute with leaders who privation to sermon it.

CARICOM has acceptable up a committee to question reparations from erstwhile assemblage powers specified arsenic the UK, France and Portugal.

Those opposed to paying reparations accidental countries shouldn't beryllium held liable for humanities wrongs, portion those successful favour accidental the bequest of slavery has resulted successful persistent and immense radical inequalities today.

A CARICOM root acquainted with the substance told Reuters CHOGM presents an “important opportunity” for dialog connected reparations and the portion volition beryllium tabling the contented there.

"It is simply a precedence for galore of the Commonwealth's subordinate countries and whenever those affected by atrocities inquire to talk, determination should ever beryllium a willingness to beryllium down and listen," said Kingsley Abbott, manager of the University of London's Institute of Commonwealth Studies, who is attending the summit.

From the 15th to the 19th century, astatine slightest 12.5 cardinal Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported by European ships and merchants and sold into slavery. Those who survived the brutal voyage ended up toiling connected plantations nether inhumane conditions successful the Americas, mostly successful Brazil and the Caribbean, portion others profited from their labor.