From 1500, the British government and the monarchy were prominent participants in the centuries-long slave trade, alongside other European nations. Historians estimate British ships transported over three million enslaved Africans, mostly to colonies in the Caribbean and North America.
Britain also had a key role in ending the trade, through Parliament’s passage of a law to abolish slavery in 1833.
Some Commonwealth leaders have called for the UK to pay financial compensation, known as reparations, for its historic role in the slave trade.
A report published last year by the University of West Indies – backed by Patrick Robinson, a judge who sits on the International Court of Justice – concluded the UK owed more than £18tn ($23tn) in reparations for its role in slavery in 14 Caribbean countries.
But successive UK governments have resisted these calls. Ahead of the summit, Downing Street insisted the issue of reparations would not be on the agenda.
However, several Commonwealth leaders – particularly those from Caribbean countries – are expected to defy the UK and hold discussions on securing reparations from the UK.
The draft of the summit conclusion, seen by the BBC, says that the heads of government noted “calls for discussions” on reparations for transatlantic slave trade.
It says they “agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity”.
British officials succeeded in blocking plans for an entirely separate declaration on reparations, but at the moment are having to accept that some text on the subject will appear in the final communiqué.
