UPR – Senegal's visit to the UN Commission on Human Rights: The debriefing of Ismaïla Madior Fall

During its visit on the occasion of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (Epu) on the efforts of States on human rights issues from 5 to 9 November, Senegal rejected the recommendations related to the legalization of homosexuality. The Minister of Justice, who chaired yesterday the workshop of restitution of the passage of our country to the Epu, informs that the delegation maintained that "our country was not ready for the legalization of homosexuality".

Senegal has reaffirmed its position not to legalize homosexuality. This is what the Minister of Justice said yesterday when he returned the passage of our country on the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review, a United Nations mechanism to assess the efforts made by the United Nations. each State to improve the human rights situation, which took place from 5 to 9 November in Geneva. According to Ismaïla Madior Fall, the issue of Lgbti (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) was among the 28 recommendations made and rejected by Senegal. Continuing his explanations, the Minister of Justice stresses that "Senegal has clearly stated that our country is not ready for the legalization of homosexuality". According to him, "in a frank and cordial speech, the delegation has reached a clear position on the issue of the Lgbti and reaffirmed a position on homosexuality already forcefully asserted by the President of the Republic during the visit of President Obama ". It is almost the same position that is also displayed regarding medical abortion. For the Minister of Justice, "the conditions are not yet reunited to advance significantly on the issue" but, he says, "the discussions are ongoing." Speaking of the 28 rejected recommendations, Mr. Fall informs that some also refer to "the amendment of certain provisions of the Family Code relating to the rights of women". On these provisions, the Minister informs "that our society is not yet ripe to accept them".
In total, out of 256 recommendations, Senegal has accepted 228. These, according to Ismaïla Madior Fall, "are linked to the strengthening and continuation of the efforts begun to make the rights of vulnerable people, namely women, effective. children, persons with disabilities, to national human rights institutions, in particular the National Human Rights Committee ". On this last point, the minister affirms that they are "in phase so that this national institution of protection of the humans right is to the standard standards, in accordance with the principle of Paris".
In addition, Mr. Fall believes that "the passage of Senegal to the UN working group on the occasion of this exercise was a great success." Moreover, he says, acclaimed by his peers, "Senegal was chosen to chair the UN Human Rights Council for a period of two years from January 2019".
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