France has taken a bold diplomatic stand, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announcing on X that Paris will introduce a landmark UN Human Rights Council resolution to prevent countries from criminalizing individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This move follows Senegal’s recent passage of a stringent anti-LGBT+ law, compounded by the detention of a French citizen under its provisions.
« France remains steadfast in advancing the global human rights agenda », Barrot declared, highlighting a troubling global trend toward conservative policies eroding LGBT+ freedoms over the past decade.
Senegal’s controversial legislation sparks international outcry
On March 11, Senegal’s National Assembly passed a sweeping amendment to its penal code, increasing prison sentences for “unnatural acts” from five to ten years and raising fines tenfold to 10 million West African CFA francs. The law, championed by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as a matter of national sovereignty, also criminalizes the promotion, support, or financing of LGBT+ identities. Human rights advocates warn the measure contradicts Senegal’s international obligations.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk publicly urged Dakar to reconsider, while France’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux expressed Paris’s deep concerns during a meeting with Senegalese counterpart Cheikh Niang on April 16.
French national faces detention under Senegal’s new law
A French citizen has been held in Dakar since February 14 under the new legislation. French consular officials have conducted four visits to monitor his welfare, maintaining contact with his family. On April 10, a Dakar court sentenced a 2002-born Senegalese man to six years in prison for similar charges, underscoring the law’s harsh enforcement.
Official data reveals 62 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex relations, with eleven imposing the death penalty. The timeline for France’s resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva remains undisclosed.
