November 3,2026
As leaders convened in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, delivered a video message welcoming King Charles III and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to the Caribbean, which he describes as the historic birthplace of British chattel slavery.
He stated, “The UK has produced multiple reasons in recent years why reparations should not be on the agenda. Each one has been dismantled and dismissed. The people of the Caribbean have said this is the number one item before us today. Our governments have said we are all committed to a discourse of decency with the British and other European governments regarding reparations for our citizens, who have suffered indignity and the legacies of chattel slavery.”
Watch the video statement from Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission
Some background
- Over the past 12 years, the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) has led a vigorous campaign of advocacy and public education on reparatory justice, following its establishment by the Thirty-Fourth Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in 2013. The CRC has played a pivotal role in revitalising the global movement for reparations.
- Through symposia, public lectures, panel discussions, and publications, the CRC has deepened public understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of over 300 years of chattel enslavement in the Caribbean. Its conferences—often in collaboration with leading scholars and advocates—have introduced new insights into topics such as the origins of the Western banking system, intergenerational trauma, and the link between slavery and the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases like hypertension in the Region.
- The CRC recently revised the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice, which was originally adopted in 2014 and last updated in 2018. The Ten Point Plan has now been reimagined to reflect shifting global dynamics and incorporate emerging historical and scientific evidence.
- A 2025 poll commissioned by The Repair Campaign, surveying over 2,000 UK adults, revealed widespread gaps in public knowledge about Britain’s role in transatlantic slavery and colonialism. Key findings include:
- 85% were unaware that Britain forcibly transported over 3 million Africans to the Caribbean.
- 89% did not know that Britain enslaved people in the Caribbean for more than 300 years.
- 63% now support a formal apology to Caribbean nations and descendants of enslaved people—up 4% from 2024.
- 40% support financial reparations, also reflecting a 4% increase from the previous year.
- In 2024, CARICOM made notable strides in advancing the reparations agenda within the Commonwealth. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa, in October 2024, Heads endorsed language in the final communiqué recognising transatlantic slavery and the trafficking of enslaved Africans as crimes against humanity. Heads also agreed that “the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.”
Source: Winn Media SKN