The Presidency has announced that Ghana will host a major international conference in Accra next month following the historic apology by Pope Leo XIV over the role of the Holy See in the transatlantic slave trade.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the government said Ghana “warmly welcomes” the Pope’s acknowledgement and apology for the role played by the Holy See in “legitimising and sustaining the enslavement of Africans and the transatlantic slave trade.”

The statement described the Pope’s remarks as “an act of moral courage” and “an important contribution to the ongoing global pursuit of historical truth, human dignity and justice.”

According to the Presidency, President John Mahama considers the acknowledgement particularly significant at a time when the world is reflecting more deeply on the historical consequences of slavery and colonialism.

“It reinforces the growing global understanding that confronting historical injustices demands truth-telling and moral responsibility as essential foundations for justice and reconciliation,” the statement said.

The Presidency noted that millions of Africans and people of African descent endured “unimaginable suffering and dehumanisation” through centuries of racialised enslavement, adding that the effects continue to shape societies across the world.

The statement also referenced the recent adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

According to the government, debates over the resolution included extensive discussions of the Church's historical role and papal decrees linked to the slave trade.

“Against this background, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s apology is particularly significant and refreshing, as it demonstrates a willingness to confront difficult historical truths in the interest of justice, understanding and reconciliation,” the statement added.

The Presidency said Ghana, because of its deep historical connection to the transatlantic slave trade and its forts and castles along the coast, remains committed to advancing “historical justice, remembrance and the restoration of human dignity.”

It was in that context that the government announced that Accra will host a High-Level Consultative Conference from June 17 to June 19, 2026.

The conference, according to the statement, is being convened by President Mahama to discuss the next steps following the UN resolution and to sustain “global engagement on historical justice, remembrance and human dignity.”

“Ghana looks forward to welcoming the international community to Accra,” the statement said.

The Presidency also expressed hope that countries which did not support the UN resolution would eventually “align with its objectives and join Ghana and the broader international community in advancing its effective implementation.”

President Mahama, the statement added, appreciates Pope Leo XIV “for this significant step” and looks forward to continued global engagement “in promoting truth, healing and a shared commitment to humanity.”