French President Emmanuel Macron has called on world leaders to prioritise truth-telling as the first step towards addressing the historical legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and advancing reparatory justice.

Delivering a virtual address to participants at the ongoing Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, President Macron said any meaningful effort to confront the consequences of slavery must begin with an honest acknowledgement of the past.

The conference, convened under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama, has brought together leaders, scholars and policymakers from around the world to chart a path forward on reparatory justice and historical accountability.

According to the French leader, "for the first, reparation is truth” in the pursuit of justice is to tell the truth about the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on millions of Africans, Indians, Amerindians, Malagasies and their descendants.

The French leader stressed that preserving historical memory is essential to ensuring that future generations understand the realities of slavery and its enduring effects on societies around the world.

He asked the world leaders to "Recognise the truth that we (France) stand by. Effecting this truth means providing the names, faces and a place for all those whose history sought to erase. It means recognising the suffering, resistance, combats and legacies," he added.

He explained that France's planned human rights memorial, scheduled to be inaugurated in 2027, is intended to help tell the true story of the slavery era, serving as a place of remembrance, education and reflection.

"This is the work that we have undertaken over the past few years with a number of partners," the French leader disclosed.

His remarks come amid growing international discussions on reparatory justice following the adoption of UN Resolution A/RES/80/250, which has renewed global attention on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.