France defends abstention on UN slave trade resolution, citing concerns over ‘hierarchy of crimes’

France has defended its decision to abstain on a Ghana-led United Nations resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot saying the move was aimed at avoiding a hierarchy among crimes.

“We abstained from that resolution because we refuse to create a hierarchy among crimes against humanity or to make a competition of the suffering caused by these abominations and crimes, the effects of which are still felt today,” said Jean-Noel Barrot, as reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday.

The UN General Assembly designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move advocates hailed as a step towards healing and potential reparations.

The resolution was adopted on Wednesday by a vote of 123 in favor, three against—the United States, Israel, and Argentina—and 52 abstentions, including Britain and European Union member states.

The resolution not only acknowledges the issue but also calls on countries historically involved in the slave trade to pursue reparatory justice, including official apologies, compensation, and actions to combat ongoing systemic discrimination.

It also calls for the “prompt and unhindered restitution” of cultural items such as artworks, monuments, and archives to their countries of origin, emphasizing the return of cultural heritage acquired during the colonial period.

“The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity that struck at the core of personhood, broke up families, and devastated communities,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

“To justify the unjustifiable, slavery’s proponents and beneficiaries constructed a racist ideology, turning prejudice into a pseudoscience.”