Chair,

Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.

The transatlantic slave trade and slavery were horrific atrocities with consequences that persist to this day, contributing to racism, inequalities and injustice. Millions of Africans, men, women, and children were uprooted, many perishing during capture and enslavement. The slave trade disrupted African societies and has deprived generations of human potential. Germany very much welcomes Ghana’s and the African Union’s initiative to bring the discussion about this important topic and its lasting consequences for people of African descent to the General Assembly.

Germany stands in solidarity with the victims and their descendants. We are committed to reconciliation, remembrance, and fighting racism, discrimination and exploitation. We actively support the Second UN Decade for People of African Descent, including through our National Strategy against Discrimination and Racism, a policy framework that, inter alia, strengthens responses to hate crimes and racism in the digital sphere, enhances protection against discrimination, and promotes diversity in employment and education.

It is against this background, that we deeply regret that we were not able to support this resolution and abstained, for two reasons: first, the text raises serious legal and political concerns, including the implication of a hierarchy among crimes against humanity and a retroactive application of international law, which would conflict with established international law, namely the principle of intertemporality. Second, the text risks pre-empting other UN processes, such as the negotiations on a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity.

Chair,

The topic covered by the resolution before us is of particular significance for us. I am saying this against the backdrop of Germany’s own historical responsibility.

This is why we actively address the legacy of our colonial past and have undertaken significant efforts. It remains essential for us to do this in dialogue and close partnership with the peoples, governments as well as societies affected by colonialism. This encompasses supporting independent scientific research into Germany’s colonial past as well as provenance research, naming and recognizing the injustices that have been committed and asking for forgiveness, as well as returning cultural artifacts and ancestral remains.

In order to actively support and shape the bilateral dialogues that enable the return of artifacts and human remains from colonial contexts, a national Coordination Council is being created this week - on the basis of Joint Guidelines, adopted by all German stakeholders in October 2025. Jointly organized and curated exhibitions, cultural events and exchange programmes raise societal awareness, they foster joint public engagement to address shared colonial past and its consequences until today.

We are aware that we are still at the beginning of a long process. These can only be first steps in the right direction and serve as a strong motivation for us to intensify our efforts, a goal explicitly set by the German government, always hand in hand with our partners from all over the world.

Thank you.