A Step Backward At The Un

[Suradit]

Notice who abstained.

UN deletes gay reference from anti-execution resolution

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A United Nations panel has deleted a reference to gays and lesbians in a resolution condemning unjustified executions.

The motion was introduced by Morocco and Mali and the vast majority of countries in support were [islamic] African or Arabic countries.

Many of the supporting countries criminalise homosexuality and five treat it as a capital offence.

The amendment called for the words "sexual orientation" to be replaced with "discriminatory reasons on any basis". The resolution makes explicit reference to a large number of groups, including human rights defenders, religious and ethnic minorities and street children.

It narrowly passed 79-70 and was then approved by the UN General Assembly committee with 165 in favour and ten abstentions.

The amendment, which condemns extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings, is voted on by the UN General Assembly every two years.

It has contained a reference to sexual orientation for the last ten years.

Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: "This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development.

"It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalise homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime, and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalising homosexuality."

Veteran gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said the move was a "shameful day in United Nations history" and would give a "de facto green light to the on-going murder of LGBT people by homophobic regimes, death squads and vigilantes".

Mr Tatchell said homophobic countries would "take comfort from the fact that the UN does not endorse the protection of LGBT people against hate-motivated murder.

"Many of the nations that voted for this amendment want to ensure that their anti-gay policies are not scrutinised or condemned by the UN. Even if they don't directly sanction the killing of LGBT people, they have lined up alongside nations that do." (Sources: Pink News, Death Penalty News, November 19, 2010)

Countries that voted to delete sexual orientation from anti-execution measures:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Dar-Salam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Countries that voted against:

Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia,Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland,India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Countries that abstained:

Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papau New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Edited November 25, 2010 by Suradit

[SweatiePie]

An eminently sensible and unusually rational move.

If you avoid the Tatchell rhetoric and read what the amendment actually said it was simply broadening the scope of the amendment in what is a totally ineffective, non-binding and widely ignored resolution.

What I find particularly interesting here, though, is Suradit's insertion of the word "Islamic" ('"......the vast majority of countries in support were [Islamic] African or Arabic countries") when this is not in either of his references and when the countries which voted for the amendment are in fact almost exactly equally split between Islamic and Christian. Maybe "fundamentalist" would have been a better description.