French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the establishment of an international scientific initiative to support global efforts on reparatory justice and the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.

In a virtual address to the ongoing Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, President Macron urged Ghana and other willing countries and institutions to join France in setting up a collaborative platform of researchers, policymakers and technical experts.

"Along with Ghana and other countries or institutions that wish to participate, France would like to launch an international scientific initiative to formulate concrete recommendations and to support this movement of recognition," the president said.

He said the proposed initiative would focus on developing evidence-based recommendations and policy frameworks to guide global responses to historical injustices, including the long-term impacts of slavery and colonialism.

"Because this is also what it comes down to when we speak of justice. And as John Dramani Mahama has underlined on several occasions," he added.

The French leader also noted that the initiative will also focus on how to return stolen artworks, "Making reparations is about placing this importance on scientific and historical truth, building momentum, teaching, researching. It means returning the works of art that were stolen during those periods."

President Macron also acknowledged Ghana’s leading role in advancing international dialogue on the issue, commending the country for convening global stakeholders and sustaining momentum on the reparatory justice agenda.

His remarks were delivered against the backdrop of renewed global engagement following the adoption of UN Resolution A/RES/80/250, which has intensified international conversations on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.

The Accra conference, convened under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama, continues to serve as a platform for governments, scholars and institutions to explore coordinated pathways towards historical accountability and reparatory justice.