King Charles admits a 'painful' past amid calls for Commonwealth talks on reparations
King Charles said on Friday the Commonwealth must acknowledge its “painful” history, as African and Caribbean nations seek reparations for Britain's role in transatlantic slavery.
Representatives of 56 countries of about 2.7 billion people, most of whom have roots in the British Empire, attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which began in Apia, Samoa, on Monday. Slavery and the threat of climate change emerge as major themes.
“I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of the past continue to resonate,” Charles said in his speech at the conference.
“Therefore, it is important that we understand our history, to guide us in making the right decisions in the future.”
Opponents of abolition argue that states should not be held accountable for historical wrongs, while proponents argue that slavery's legacy has led to greater and continuing racial inequality.
From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were captured and taken by force by many European ships and traders and sold into slavery. Britain sent an estimated 3.2 million people, the most active European country after Portugal.
Those who survived the brutal journey ended up toiling in the fields under harsh conditions in the Americas, while others profited from their work.
“None of us can change the past but we can commit ourselves wholeheartedly to learning and finding creative ways to redress existing inequalities,” said Charles, attending his first CHOGM summit as British head of state.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called for a “full formal apology.”
The conference may call for a discussion of compensation
Successive British governments, like many former colonial countries, have rejected calls for repatriation.
The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, denied that he would apologize for the important role of the country, but said that he is open to communication with leaders who want to discuss it.
An Australian senator accused King Charles of genocide after he gave a speech in the Australian Parliament. The incident sparked debates about the strained relationship between the Crown and Aboriginal people.
There are different types of reparations, from financial payments and apologies to technology transfer and educational programs. CARICOM has its own recovery system.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, Frederick Mitchell, told the BBC on Thursday that the draft conclusion of the conference, which is expected to be published on Saturday, has sections that want to discuss about compensation.
“If we say we want equality and greater equality in the world, the way to do this is to explore what and how the returns can be seen, rather than closing the conversation,” said Jacqueline McKenzie, a lawyer at the London firm Leigh Day. when his team investigated the possibility of compensation claims.
Climate impacts are a concern for members of the Pacific
During the summit, member states are expected to sign the Commonwealth Ocean Declaration which aims to increase funding to ensure healthy oceans and fix maritime boundaries even if small island nations end up unable to survive.
More than half of the Commonwealth's members are small countries, many of which are low-lying islands that are vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change.
“We have gone ahead and believe that it is a problem for the future as it is already undermining the development that we have been fighting for for some time,” said Silo on Friday. “This year alone we have seen devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean, devastating floods in East Africa and catastrophic wildfires in Canada. Lives, livelihoods and human rights are at risk across the Commonwealth.”
Charles offered “every incentive to act with unwavering determination to tackle rising temperatures” by cutting emissions, building resilience and preserving and restoring ecosystems on land and at sea, he said.
Samoa is the first Pacific island country to host the event, and Prime Minister Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa said in her speech on Friday that “it was a good opportunity for all to hear our living reality, especially about climate change,” which was “a major threat to the survival and security of our Pacific people .”
The twelve small island countries are among the member states of the 75-year-old Commonwealth, and are among the most vulnerable countries to the sea because of their height. He said this at a time when the United Nations released a new alarming report warning that the world is in the process of warming more than expected without immediate climate change.
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