WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� King Charles III told a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa on Friday that the past could not be changed as he indirectly acknowledged for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The British monarch told leaders in Apia that he understood 鈥渢he most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate." But Charles stopped short of mentioning financial reparations that some leaders at the event have urged, and instead exhorted them to find the 鈥渞ight language鈥� and an understanding of history 鈥渢o guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists."
鈥淣one of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right the inequalities that endure," said Charles, who is , or CHOGM, as Britain's head of state.
His remarks at the summit's opening ceremony were an acknowledgement of the strength of feeling on the issue in countries that Britain once colonized.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also struck an emollient tone, after earlier insisting that the meeting should avoid becoming mired in the past and 鈥渧ery, very long endless discussions about reparations.鈥�
Starmer said at the summit that it was important to acknowledge a 鈥渉ard鈥� shared history, and that he understood the 鈥渟trength of feeling here and that there are some calls to face up to the harms and injustices of the past through reparatory justice.鈥�
Flanked by leaders from Uganda and Tanzania, Starmer said he wanted to work 鈥渢ogether to make sure the future is not in the shadow of the past," and promised to host a U.K.-Caribbean forum next year with leaders of the nations most impacted by slavery鈥檚 legacy.
Britain's handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many observers as a litmus test for the Commonwealth's adaptation to a modern-day world. Other European nations and some British institutions have started to own up to their role in the trade.
鈥淚 think the time has come for this to be taken seriously,鈥� said Jacqueline McKenzie, a partner at London law firm Leigh Day. 鈥淣obody expects people to pay every single penny for what happened. But I think there needs to be negotiations."
Such a policy would be costly and divisive at home, McKenzie said.
The U.K. has never formally apologized for its role in the trade, in which millions of African citizens were kidnapped and transported to plantations in the Caribbean and Americas over several centuries, enriching many individuals and companies. Studies estimate Britain would owe between hundreds of millions and trillions of dollars in compensation to descendants of slaves.
The Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis on Thursday said he wanted a 鈥渇rank鈥� discussion with Starmer about the matter and would seek mention of the reparations issue in the leaders' final statement at the event. All three candidates to be the next Commonwealth Secretary-General 鈥� from Gambia, Ghana and Lesotho 鈥� have endorsed policies of reparatory justice for slavery.
Starmer said Thursday in remarks to reporters that the matter would not be on the summit鈥檚 agenda. But Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland told The Associated Press in an interview that leaders 鈥渨ill speak about absolutely anything they want to speak about" at an all-day private meeting scheduled for Saturday.
King Charles said in Friday's speech that nothing would right inequality 鈥渕ore decisively than to champion the principle that our Commonwealth is one of genuine opportunity for all.鈥� The monarch urged leaders to "choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division.鈥�
He has expressed 鈥渟orrow鈥� over slavery at a CHOGM summit before, in 2022, and into the monarchy鈥檚 ties to the industry.
Charles 鈥� who is battling cancer 鈥� and his wife, Queen Camilla, will return to Britain after visiting Samoa and , where his presence over his country's colonial legacy.
He acknowledged Friday that the Commonwealth had mattered 鈥渁 great deal鈥� to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, who was seen as a unifying figure among the group's disparate and divergent states.
The row over reparations threatened to overshadow a summit that Pacific leaders 鈥� and the Commonwealth secretariat 鈥� hoped would focus squarely on the ruinous effects of climate change.
鈥淲e are well past believing it is a problem for the future since it is already undermining the development we have long fought for,鈥� the king said Friday. 鈥淭his year alone we have seen terrifying storms in the Caribbean, devastating flooding in East Africa and catastrophic wildfires in Canada. Lives, livelihood and human rights are at-risk across the Commonwealth.鈥�
Charles offered 鈥渆very encouragement for action with unequivocal determination to arrest rising temperatures鈥� by cutting emissions, building resilience, and conserving and restoring nature on land and at sea, he said.
Samoa is the first Pacific Island nation to host the event, and Prime Minister Fiam膿 Naomi Mata'afa said in a speech Friday that it was 鈥渁 great opportunity for all to experience our lived reality, especially with climate change," which was 鈥渢he greatest threat to the survival and security of our Pacific people."
Two dozen small island nations are among the Commonwealth grouping's 56 member states, among them the world鈥檚 most imperiled by rising seas. Her remarks came as the United Nations warning that the world was on pace for significantly more warming than expected without immediate climate action.
The population of the member nations of the 75-year-old Commonwealth organization totals 2.7 billion people.
Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press
