2 weeks Ago By The Guardian
Good morning. Delegates from 56 countries convened at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Samoa this week. The biennial event has been dominated by the issue of reparations, with Caribbean leaders drawing up an agreement that would demand billions from the UK.
That is not something the UK government is keen on. Keir Starmer fought, unsuccessfully, to keep reparations off the agenda of this summit, though he has accepted that the issue is likely to be mentioned in the communique that will be published at its conclusion. And following in the footsteps of previous governments, Downing Street also ruled out a symbolic apology for slavery.
Representatives of various Caribbean countries have continued to push for a about transatlantic slavery and the “horrendous impact” it had on the African diaspora. The prime minister , as he pivoted slightly, saying that he is “open to discussing non-cash forms of reparatory justice for slavery”. For today’s newsletter I spoke with the Guardian’s Caribbean correspondent, , about the case being made for reparations.
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But the Commonwealth summit is not just a place for world leaders to talk shop once every two years – it can provide an important space to shift frameworks and shape policy. During the campaign to end apartheid, South Africa was expelled from the Commonwealth, which spurred on further punitive measures to pressure the country into dismantling its racist system of segregation. “Although there is no legally binding element of the communique, it does have a significant impact on advocacy for moving discussions forward on subjects like reparations.
And that’s why countries, particularly those in the Caribbean, view this as a really important opportunity to bring the issue of reparations to the table, in the same way that apartheid and climate action were made part of the Commonwealth agenda,” Natricia says. The summit is also a space where smaller countries that are often ignored or sidelined in other international events can speak for themselves, as each country has to accept the wording of the final communique. “The summit prides itself in being this space where everybody has an equal voice and has a a place at the table,” she adds.
*** Estimates for how much Britain owes in reparations range from to . Starmer continues to bat away the idea of a monetary payout, but a Downing Street source has suggested that the government could support other reparatory measures like restructuring financial institutions and providing debt relief. Caricom, a political and economic bloc of 21 states across the Caribbean and Americas, has long had for reparatory justice that includes, but is not limited to: a full formal apology; illiteracy eradication; alleviation of public health crises; debt cancellation; and technology transfer.
The prime minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, has said: “For me, I don’t know that money, in and of itself, could adequately compensate for the wrongs of the past. The ghost that haunts us today cannot be, in my view, dispelled by a monetary gift.” A draft version of the final communique stated that leaders “agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity”.
*** There has been consternation among Caribbean leaders who were expecting a more open-minded approach from Britain’s recently elected Labour government. The fact the that foreign secretary, David Lammy, in favour of reparations gave those nations hope there would be a shift in tone from the new administration. In 2018, Lammy wrote on Twitter that Caribbean people who were enslaved, colonised and invited to Britain as citizens do not just want an apology, but “we want reparations and compensation”.
But there is no trace of this position among government ministers. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, doubled down yesterday, saying an : “Look, I mean, we’re not going to be paying out the reparations that some countries are speaking about.” There was an expectation that the UK “would be more willing to move forward with the issue of reparations”, Natricia says.
Starmer asserted that he does not want to get stuck in a “very long endless discussion about reparations on the past” and instead wishes to look forward and deal with current issues affecting the countries attending the summit, like the climate crisis, which is hitting countries in the global south, particularly smaller and island states, the hardest. But there is no way to separate these issues in the eyes of many of these states. The argument for reparations and reparatory justice is about tending to the enduring scars of transatlantic slavery on the social, economic and psychological outcomes of the region.
“Caribbean states are saying that this is not an issue that’s in the past, it is something that is still having an impact on us,” Natricia adds. Leaders will be heading to a retreat as part of the summit, where they will talk behind closed doors about the knottiest and most challenging issues of the summit, including reparations, away from the glare of the media. There is no way to know what will be said or the conclusions that will come out of these discussions, but it is clear that the initial offhand dismissal from the UK has not slowed down the movement.
The Bahamas’ foreign minister, Frederick Mitchell, told the BBC that it was “only a matter of time” before Starmer “changes” his position on reparations. “Caribbean governments are very clear,” says Natricia. “They are going to be stepping up this campaign.
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