King Charles III subtly acknowledged pleas from some of Britain's former colonies for an examination of its participation in the transatlantic slave trade when he told a summit of Commonwealth nations in Samoa on Friday that the past could not be reversed.King Charles III subtly recognized pleas from some of Britain's former colonies for an examination of its participation in the transatlantic slave trade when he told a Commonwealth meeting in Samoa on Friday that the past could not be reversed.
Leaders in Apia were informed by the British royal that "the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate." Charles instead asked them to find the "right language" and an understanding of history "to guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists," without addressing the financial reparations that other leaders at the event have sought.
Charles, who is attending his first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, as Britain's head of state, stated, "While none of us can change the past, we can dedicate ourselves fully to learning from it and to coming up with innovative ways to write the inequalities that persist."
His statements during the official opening ceremony of the summit mirrored those made by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer the day before, who said that the meeting should not get bogged down in the past or "very, very long endless discussions about reparations." The head of the United Kingdom rejected Caribbean nations' requests that leaders at the biennial gathering specifically address reparations for Britain's involvement in the slave trade and bring up the issue in its concluding joint statement.
However, as other European countries and certain British institutions have begun to acknowledge their role in the transatlantic slave trade, many observers view Britain's treatment of its involvement in the trade as a litmus test for the Commonwealth's transition to a modern world.
Jacqueline McKenzie, a lawyer at the London law firm Leigh Day, stated, "I believe the time has come for this to be taken seriously." "No one expects anyone to bear the full cost of what transpired. However, I believe that negotiations are necessary.
According to McKenzie, such a strategy would be expensive and polarizing domestically. Over the course of several centuries, millions of African residents were abducted and transported to plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, benefiting several people and businesses. The United Kingdom has never formally apologized for its involvement in this trade. Research indicates that Britain would have to pay hundreds of millions to trillions of dollars to family members of
Phillip Davis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, stated Thursday that he would like to have a "frank" conversation with Starmer about the subject and would try to bring up the reparations issue in the leaders' closing remarks at the gathering. Reparatory justice programs for slavery have been supported by the three candidates from Ghana, Lesotho, and the Gambia who are running to become the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.
In statements to reporters on Thursday, Starmer stated that the issue will not be discussed at the summit. In an interview with The Associated Press, however, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland stated that leaders "will speak about absolutely anything they want to speak about" during a private meeting that is set to take place for the entire day.
Nothing will address inequality "more decisively than to champion the principle that our Commonwealth is one of genuine opportunity for all," according to King Charles' speech on Friday. "Choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of divisio," the monarch advised leaders.
He had already voiced his "sorrow" about slavery during a CHOGM session in 2022, and he supported an investigation into the monarchy's connections to the slave trade last year. Following their visits to Australia and Samoa, where his presence sparked a lawmaker's protest over his nation's colonial past, Charles, who is battling cancer, and his wife, Queen Camilla, will return to Britain tomorrow.
He admitted on Friday that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who served as a unifying force among the Commonwealth's occasionally different and divergent states, had meant "a great deal" to the organization. A summit that Pacific leaders and the Commonwealth secretariat thought would concentrate directly on the devastating effects of climate change was in danger of being overshadowed by the reparations dispute.He admitted on Friday that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who served as a unifying force among the Commonwealth's occasionally different and divergent states, had meant "a great deal" to the organization. A summit that Pacific leaders and the Commonwealth secretariat thought would concentrate directly on the devastating effects of climate change was in danger of being overshadowed by the reparations dispute.
Since it is already eroding the progress we have long battled for, we are past thinking it will be an issue in the future," the king stated on Friday. "Just this year, we have witnessed devastating flooding in East Africa, terrifying storms in the Caribbean, and devastating wildfires in Canada." Human rights, livelihoods, and lives are in jeopardy throughout the Commonwealth.
Charles added that by reducing emissions, increasing resilience, and protecting and restoring nature on land and at sea, he provided "every encouragement for action with unequivocal determination to arrest rising temperatures."
In a speech on Friday, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa described the event as "a great opportunity for all to experience our lived reality, especially with climate change," which she said was "the greatest threat to the survival and security of our Pacific people." Samoa is the first Pacific Island nation to host the event.
The 56 member states of CHOGM include two dozen small island nations, some of which are the most vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise worldwide. Her comments coincided with the release of a sobering new assessment by the UN warning that, absent quick climate action, the globe was on track to warm much more than anticipated.
The 75-year-old Commonwealth organization has 2.7 billion people living in its member countries. Charles IIIAPSamoa in more detail
