UK agrees to 'structured dialogue' with Caribbean nations on slavery legacy, while ruling out reparations

Britain has agreed to a "structured dialogue" with Caribbean nations affected by the slave trade and its legacy, to take place within the next year, Commonwealth leaders said. The dialogue was discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM, the summit of leaders from the Commonwealth, the association of countries that includes the UK and several Caribbean states.

Slavery reparations, meaning compensation for past wrongs, were not on the official agenda of the summit, which began on Sunday, 1 November. According to The Guardian, the UK had been "vehement" that the issue should stay off the agenda. In October 2024, Britain had also said it would not bring reparations for transatlantic slavery to a Commonwealth meeting.

Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, said there was a "consensus" among governments in discussions about a way forward on reparations. He said it was agreed in principle that the full framework for the dialogue would be set up by the end of 2026 or early next year. The dialogue itself is hoped to begin within the next 12 months.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted to begin the structured dialogue. He said he was open to Britain apologising for its role in the slave trade, but he ruled out reparations. Burnham also proposed discussions on debt resets, a term for reworking what smaller Commonwealth nations owe, and announced £40m ($54m) for critical infrastructure in the Caribbean over the next three years.

The Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, is a regional bloc of Caribbean countries. Its reparations commission has a 10-point plan that specifically asks for "debt cancellation" and "monetary compensation."

Ralph Gonsalves, a former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, said debt relief and development assistance from the UK cannot be a replacement for reparations for centuries of slavery. His comments put the debt and aid proposals in direct contrast with the compensation the CARICOM plan describes.

King Charles told Commonwealth leaders that his greater understanding of the horrors of slavery had made him more determined to build a better future.

Whether the framework is completed on the timetable Browne described will determine when the dialogue begins in earnest.