UK agrees to time-bound dialogue on transatlantic slave-trade harms

The United Kingdom has committed to a "structured, time-bound, inclusive and good-faith" dialogue with Commonwealth members to address the historical harms of the transatlantic slave trade, Commonwealth leaders said after the summit in Antigua. The agreement was recorded in the final communique of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which notes that the UK will engage with affected parties in a structured dialogue.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously signalled that a formal apology could be offered, while ruling out reparations. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband indicated the talks are likely to run for about a year and told BBC Newscast that a formal apology could be secured before the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November.

British diplomats said the wording in the communique is intended to demonstrate urgency despite the lack of a set timetable. The dialogue will be shaped by the UK and countries that have long called for acknowledgment of the slave trade’s lasting legacies.

Burnham described his "new approach with the Commonwealth" as well received and called the meeting the most successful recent Commonwealth gathering. King Charles III, speaking as Head of the Commonwealth, said the transatlantic trade "still casts a shadow" over member states and expressed personal sorrow over the chapter of history.