Caribbean nations are considering taking their campaign for slavery reparations to international courts if diplomatic efforts fail to persuade the United Kingdom to enter formal negotiations.

Officials made the disclosure to The Guardian recently, even as efforts remain focused on a coordinated campaign to persuade the UK to enter negotiations regarding reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade and colonial rule.

Among the options being examined is seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, while another strategy could involve challenges through the UK’s own judicial system, including the Privy Council.

The issue was central at last week’s CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations, held in Barbados, where regional leaders and reparations advocates discussed strategies for advancing the Caribbean’s reparations campaign.

Guyana’s Reparations Chairman Eric Phillips also attended the conference, which focused on strengthening the region’s approach to reparatory justice and efforts to bring former colonial powers to the negotiating table.

Former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said the conference was important in developing a shared strategy for engaging Britain. He argued that any reparations agreement would have to reflect the scale and duration of slavery and be implemented through a long-term programme.

Caribbean leaders also hope to use forthcoming Commonwealth and United Nations meetings to press Britain into discussions. However, the British government has maintained its position that it will not pay reparations.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has argued that the Caribbean’s campaign is about justice and addressing the continuing consequences of slavery rather than seeking to financially harm Britain.

The reparations movement has gained renewed international attention following the United Nations General Assembly’s landmark resolution declaring the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel slavery to be "the gravest crime against humanity".

The region’s current strategy combines diplomatic engagement with the exploration of legal mechanisms that could be pursued if negotiations with Britain fail to materialise.