‘Time for Britain, European counterparts to compensate nations whose forefathers lost freedom and humanity to business interests and greed’

The People’s National Party (PNP) calls upon the Government of Jamaica to clearly state its position on the planned objection of Commonwealth Leaders regarding the United Kingdom’s stance on reparation.

This objection is expected to be raised at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in response to the UK’s refusal to consider reparative payments to nations affected by the Trans-Atlantic Trafficking in Enslaved Africans and the racialised system of chattel slavery enforced by former European colonisers.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the support of his Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has publicly indicated that Britain will not pay reparations to any of its former colonies. This aligns with previous positions by former British Prime Minister David Cameron and contrasts with King Charles III’s call for Britain to seek atonement for its participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade—a matter that CHOGM leaders have stated they intend to discuss in Samoa.

The PNP said: “It is evident that, over a period of more than 400 years, European powers inflicted profound harm not only through genocidal actions against the region’s Indigenous communities but also by implementing the legal, financial, and fiscal policies necessary to enforce the enslavement of Africans for their own national interests.

“After emancipation, these injustices continued with a further century of racial apartheid imposed on the formerly enslaved. The PNP stands firm in its belief that the time for reparation is now and fully supports open discussion on reparations for Jamaica and neighbouring nations similarly affected by these grievous wrongs.

“It is time for Britain and its European counterparts to provide compensation to those nations whose forefathers lost their freedom and humanity to raw business interests and greed. We call upon the Government of Jamaica to assert its position on this matter and take the necessary steps to support the mandate of the Reparatory Justice Movement. Such a stance aligns with CARICOM’s Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice. We also welcome any efforts toward a unified position among the affected nations to facilitate the full atonement process, as eloquently expressed by the King.”

The PNP said that Jamaica’s silence on this critical issue has been resounding. The party complained that there is still no clearly outlined policy indicating how Jamaica intends to engage if and when this topic arises at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

“We urge the government to follow the example of the Bahamas, which has firmly declared its stance, and to support CARICOM neighbours in their pursuit of justice regarding this longstanding issue,” the PNP concluded.