Wrapping up a week-long summit in Samoa, Commonwealth leaders said on Saturday it was time for a debate on whether Britain should commit to reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

The threat of slavery and climate change were key themes for representatives of the 56 countries in the group, most of them based on the British empire, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which began in the Pacific Islands nation on Monday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country has long rejected calls for financial compensation for nations affected by slavery, said the summit discussions were “not about money”.

On the issue of slavery, the leaders said in a joint statement that they “agreed that it is time for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation to build a shared future based on equality.”

Pressure for former colonial powers such as Britain to pay reparations or make other amends for slavery and its legacies has gained momentum around the world, particularly among the Caribbean Community and the African Union.

The statement also referenced the term “blackbirding”, which consists of people who are deceived, coerced or trafficked to work on plantations in Australia and elsewhere, including the Pacific Islands.

Opponents of reparations say countries should not be held accountable for historical wrongs, while supporters say the legacy of slavery has led to wide and persistent racial inequality.

The joint statement did not specify what form of compensation should be made.

Starmer told the press conference that the joint statement did two things: “It notes the calls for debate and acknowledges that it is time to talk.

“But I must make it clear that during the two days we were here, no discussion was about money. Our position on this issue is very, very clear,” he said.

Professor Kingsley Abbott, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the announcement marked a potentially historic breakthrough on the subject.

“Commitment to conversations on restorative justice opens the door to dialogue, and now the hard work really begins,” said Abbott, who attended the summit.

The joint statement also cited concerns about “the serious consequences of the climate crisis, including rising temperatures and sea levels.”

More than half of Commonwealth members are small nations, many of which are low-lying islands at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.

NEW CHEF

Commonwealth members elected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as the group’s new general secretary. Botchwey, who supports reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, takes over from Britain’s Patricia Scotland, who had been in office since 2016.

King Charles and Queen Camilla, who attended the summit, flew from Samoa after a visit in which the monarch acknowledged the Commonwealth’s “bitter” history.

Before leaving, the royal couple attended a farewell ceremony held in heavy rain in Siumu village.

Speaking at the summit on Friday, Charles said he realized “by listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate.”

“So it is vital that we understand our history and that it guides us to make the right choices in the future,” he said.

A huge crowd turned out to see the king and queen at the Sydney Opera House after their six-day tour of Australia, which they spent in Samoa. Charles also met with Indigenous elders in Sydney after being heckled by an Indigenous senator in Canberra.