The resolution describing the slave trade and slavery as «the gravest crime against humanity» was put to a vote by the United Nations General Assembly in March 2026. France abstained. For Serge Letchimy, president of the Executive Council of Martinique, this silence is not a neutral diplomatic stance—it is a moral failing.
In a statement released on March 27, 2026, Serge Letchimy did not mince words regarding France’s abstention during the vote on the UN resolution designating the slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity. For the president of Martinique’s Executive Council, this decision constitutes «moral desertion» and a «historic abdication» on the part of a country that, through the Taubira Act of 2001, was the first to enshrine this recognition in its national law.
Letchimy also condemns the negative votes cast by three nations—the United States, Israel, and Argentina—which he describes as ’erecting a wall of cynicism against memory.« He questions the ability of the powerful to face the foundations of their history head-on, noting that »our ancestors did not have the luxury of abstention when the shackles were closing around their ankles.«.
Beyond the political implications, the Martinican elected official is also raising an issue of identity and sovereignty. By abandoning this resolution, France would, in his view, leave its own overseas citizens facing silent contempt, betraying the universal values it claims to embody. «Memory is not an option or a sensitive issue; it is our sovereignty,» he concludes, in a text whose tone stands in stark contrast to the measured language of diplomatic circles.
