Two numbers — 123 and three — quickly became the focal point of reactions after the United Nations General Assembly voted to declare the trafficking of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity” and affirmed the need for reparations.

They represent the nations that voted for and against the resolution. The willingness of the US to vote against the proclamation drew predictable condemnation in the press and on social media. But the 52 nations that abstained from voting — entering what could be described as a collective plea of nolo contendere — didn’t get enough attention.

© Bloomberg