Nigeria has urged the United Nations to include colonialism, slavery, slave trading and exploitation of natural resources in a proposed international treaty on crimes against humanity.

The country made the request on Monday during the 11th plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which handles legal matters.

Nigeria’s permanent representative, Jimoh Ibrahim, outlined the country’s position on negotiations towards a legally binding international convention for preventing and punishing crimes against humanity.

Represented by Emmanuel Nweke, Nigeria supported the African Group’s position but wanted additional provisions addressing historical injustices, international accountability and the responsibilities of states.

Nigeria maintained that perpetrators of crimes against humanity must be held accountable, while governments retained primary responsibility for preventing and punishing such offences.

The delegation specifically supported the African Group’s demand that slavery and the slave trade be expressly included in the proposed convention. It also reiterated Nigeria’s earlier proposal that colonialism and the exploitation of natural and mineral resources should be covered by the future treaty.

The representative recalled that the General Assembly adopted Resolution 80/250 on March 25, recognising the trafficking and racialised enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

The resolution, sponsored by Ghana, received 123 votes in favour, three against and 52 abstentions. Nigeria also cited the African Union’s declaration of 2026-2035 as the Decade of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.

The delegation argued that the proposed convention should give legal effect to these international recognitions of historical injustices.

Nigeria further called for the definition of crimes against humanity in the proposed treaty to follow Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As a party to the Rome Statute, Nigeria maintained that the existing definition should be retained in full, including its provision concerning gender.

The representative warned that departing from the agreed Rome Statute definition could create inconsistencies between international legal instruments and weaken support for the convention.
Nigeria also drew attention to the Malabo Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights.

It maintained that African legal experience and jurisprudence should inform negotiations on the terminology and scope of the proposed treaty. On international cooperation, Nigeria stressed that the convention must respect sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

The delegation called for national jurisdiction, mutual legal assistance and extradition arrangements to receive priority, consistent with applicable international law. Nigeria further argued that countries providing financial, military or other assistance to governments committing crimes against humanity should be required to discontinue such support.

It maintained that states failing to end such assistance should face accountability under provisions expressly incorporated into the proposed convention. The delegation welcomed preparations for the second session of the treaty’s Preparatory Committee, scheduled for April 12-15, 2027, at UN Headquarters in New York.

Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to constructive negotiations ahead of diplomatic conferences scheduled for 2028 and 2029, seeking a balanced convention commanding broad international support.

(NAN)