Anti-LGBTI push at U.N. falls short
The U.N. General Assembly today rejected a plan to undo the U.N. Human Rights Council’s June decision to hire a watchdog to investigate violations of LGBTI rights.
Among the countries supporting the LGBTI rapporteur were South Africa, which had earlier indicated support for the anti-LGBTI proposal; Sri Lanka and Kiribati, two countries that still have anti-homosexuality laws; and Belize, which had such a law until it was overturned in court earlier this year.
Six countries with anti-homosexuality laws abstained: Barbados, India, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Several countries said after the 84-77 vote that they would not recognize or cooperate with the new special U.N. rapporteur on sexual orientation and gender identity, Voice of America said.
Voice of America reported the day’s news and added this background:
African states, led by Botswana, retroactively sought to block the work of Vitit Muntarbhorn, whose mandate came into effect on November 1 as the first U.N. Independent Expert on the Protection against Violence and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). The position was created by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council last June.
The issue of LGBT rights is a divisive one among the organization’s 193 member states. The U.N. says homosexuality is still a crime in more than 70 nations. Some countries oppose homosexuality based on religious or cultural grounds.Botswana proposed a resolution to delay Muntarbhorn’s appointment until at least next September, so member states could confer further on whether there is basis in international law for establishing the position. The amendment had support from Russia, as well as many Muslim countries.
“It’s outrageous of parts of the African group to try to overturn the decision by the Human Rights Council,” British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters. Several states agreed that the challenge to the council’s authority was inappropriate.
South Africa was one of the few African states that did not support delaying Muntarbhorn’s appointment.
“South Africa is still healing the deep wounds caused by racial discrimination. We are not going to add fresh wounds to these wounds we are trying to heal in South Africa,” their envoy said.
Latin American states, supported by many Western countries, submitted an amendment to the resolution deleting the request for the postponement. That amendment was adopted, as was the revised resolution, allowing the appointment to go forward.
Nearly 800 civil society groups signed an open letter calling on states not to block the SOGI appointment.
“The establishment of the Independent Expert does not seek to create new standards, but simply to address within the existing framework provided by established international human rights law a protection gap for individuals facing violence and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” the letter reads in part.
Related articles:
- Opposition and delay confront anti-LGBT push at U.N. (Nov. 10, 2016, 76crimes.com)
- A Plea to the African Group at the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly (Nov. 8, 2016, Anthony-Oluoch.com)
- Anti-LGBT nations seek to end U.N. advocacy of LGBT rights (Nov. 7, 2016, 76crimes.com)
- African States sell out LGBT Human Rights in bid to end role of UN Expert (Nov. 7, 2016, O-blog-dee blog)
- U.N. approves LGBTI rights watchdog (June-July 2016, 76crimes.com)
- Iran pushes ‘Islamic human rights’ excluding LGBT people (June-July 2016, 76crimes.com)
- Iran rejects U.N. plea to stop abuse of LGBTI youths February 2016, 76crimes.com)