The United Kingdom has committed to engaging in "structured, time-bound, inclusive and good-faith" talks addressing the "historical harms" of the transatlantic slave trade, Commonwealth leaders announced in Antigua. The agreement was formalized in the communique concluding the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
This commitment, detailed in an 18-page document, stems from a paragraph welcoming the UK government's pledge to enter into dialogue with affected parties concerning the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and its historical impact. The timing for these discussions will be determined at a later date, though Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband suggested they are likely to conclude within approximately one year.
Miliband indicated that a formal apology from the UK for its role in the slave trade could be considered by the time the nation hosts the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November. This engagement follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's earlier openness to a formal apology, while ruling out reparations.