UN LGBT Rights

patrickr

Hi all;

I'm doing a presentation on Human Rights on Thursday and I'm trying to recall a news story I read not so long ago; in the past 18months I think. I've tried googling to no avail.

It basically involved the UN (general assembly) removing gay rights from it's declaration of human rights (or some similar list \ declaration) having been rejected by majority vote of the members of the assembly.

It was a fairly big headline.

If anyone can recall the exact circumstances or provide a link to any article discussing it I'd be very grateful!

Thanks

Annasopra

I don't think I remember anything like

Have you looked here?


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_at_the_United_Nations

http://ilga.org/

http://www.iglhrc.org/

Ambersky

I think you may be looking for this information
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_at_the_United_Nations
The controversy was around a UN proposal to support LGBT rights rather than to take away support already generally given. The UN hadnt even discussed LGBT rights untill 2008. Many countries have signed up to support the resolution but there are also those who strongly oppose it. The proposed declaration includes a condemnation of violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity that undermine personal integrity and dignity. It also includes condemnation of killings and executions, torture, arbitrary arrest, and deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights on those grounds.
Many countries still have laws that make homosexuality illegal and punishments can range from fines to imprisonment, torture and even death.

On the Wikipedia page have a look at the section on the opposition to the proposal.

Among the first to voice opposition for the declaration, in early December 2008, was the Holy See's Permanent Observer at the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, who claimed that the declaration could be used to force countries to recognise same-sex marriage:[15]

"If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations. For example, states which do not recognise same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure."[15]
( this was the section that was in the Irish media )
.........
An alternative statement, supported by 57 member nations, was read by the Syrian representative in the General Assembly.[19] The statement, led by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, rejected the idea that sexual orientation is a matter of genetic coding and claimed that the declaration threatened to undermine the international framework of human rights,[9] adding that the statement "delves into matters which fall essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of states" and could lead to "the social normalization, and possibly the legitimization, of many deplorable acts including paedophilia.

57 UN member nations had initially co-sponsored the opposing statement in 2008

Manach

Offhand, for the consideration of such rights-based topic it might be worth looking at the appropriate UNDHR website for general comments on such or else look for reports created by their Special Rappateurs who specialise on aspects of the conventions.

Cody Pomeray

Ambersky wrote: »

The UN hadnt even discussed LGBT rights untill 2008.

That's not quite the case.

As far back as 1994, the UNHRC had said that criminalizing sexual contact between consenting adult homosexual men in private was contrary to the provisions of the ICCPR. Further, that exual orientation discrimination is prohibited under the Covenant

See UN Doc. CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992 (1994)

Ambersky

I havent heard about that document Cody Pomeray. How does that document relate to the more recent proposals and the controversy surrounding it?