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The United Kingdom’s stance on reparations for historical, egregious human rights violations during the period of the Transatlantic Slave Trade remains a contentious issue, at least in terms of the United Kingdom’s international legal obligation for internationally wrongful acts given its participation in the practice of African Chattel enslavement (Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts 2001).
In the era of conquest and annexation of nations across the world, African artefacts were stolen and pillaged. As such, this presentation examines whether the withholding to date, and the ceremonial return, of the African artefacts which were stolen during the period of African Chattel enslavement, constitutes evidence of state practice of reparations. It is therefore arguable that such withholding of African artefacts amounts to a continuing breach of international obligations, which includes the violation of people’s right to religion, worship, culture, self-determination, social, economic and environmental wellbeing.
The presentation will present case studies from the perspective of international legal principles on states’ obligations to address internationally wrongful acts, state practices, and historical precedents, therefore exploring the implications of artefact restitution within a wider framework of
reparations in line with the current global debate; bearing in the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law (2005). Whilst the lending and returning of artefacts may symbolise an acknowledgement of past wrongs and show evidence of the United Kingdom’s
advancement towards moral redress, it does not fully provide a comprehensive form of reparations for historical gross human rights violations as required under international law which, at the very least, should encompass financial compensation, public apologies, and educational initiatives
Keywords: Slave Trade, Reparations, African Slavery
How to Cite: Robinson, P. (2026) “We Do Not Pay Reparations: Oh Yes You Do”, New Vistas. 12(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.36828/newvistas.396