At UN, Bid to Strip Out Language on Sexual Orientation From Resolution Also Targeted "Foreign Occupation" / Palestine, and Lost 53-82

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 19 -- At the UN when the terms “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” come up, the culture wars begin. But in the November 19 votes on a resolution on “Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,” it was a culture-war double-whammy.

  Egypt on behalf of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation put forward an amendment which would have stripped out the paragraph, OP 6(b), which included killings “persons... because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” 

  But also in the paragraph to be stripped was a reference to “persons... living under foreign occupation.” In UN-ese: Palestine.

  Inner City Press was told about this double whammy on November 18, and early on November 19 asked the Permanent Representative of an OIC member country how it would be resolved. The answer was that yes, Palestine was an issue; the prediction was that the conflict would be resolved.

  But it wasn't: during the debate on the OIC amendment, put forward by Egypt, delegates inter-mixed the terms sexual orientation and Palestine, along with the words laundry-list and, in the case of Sudan, International Criminal Court. 

 Call it a triple-whammy, then.

  Albania said that would vote against the OIC amendment, citing the killing of gays. When the vote was called the Egyptian / OIC amendment lost, with 53 in favor, 82 against and 24 abstaining.

  A recorded vote was called for on the resolution as a whole, and Finland asked to know who'd asked for it. “Egypt,” came the answer. And while the resolution was adopted with 111 for, one against and 64 abstentions, even that one “no” was called into question when Kiribati belatedly tried to change it to “abstain.” 

 The Committee's Secretary, who previously played the same role for the Fifth (Budget) Committee, explained that while the Secretariat “took note” of what Kiribati said, it “will not alter outcome.” So that one “no” stands - stands alone. And the culture wars will continue.

   

At UN, Saturday 7 AM Speeches After Sexual and Reproductive Rights Fights, CPD47 Turns 48 at Dawn

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 12, updated -- It was just another Friday night into Saturday morning at the UN, this time a fight over the Commission on Population and Development. Again, the culture wars: a dispute over "sexual and reproductive health" and rights. It culminated in speeches between 6 and 7 am.

  We open past 11 pm. The Permanent Representative of Kenya, this month's chair of the African Group, said there would be no sleight of hand solution. He went into Conference Room A with other Permanent Representatives, including those of Norway and then of Cameroon, who told Inner City Press that "in African we don't do Programs of Action, we do Declarations." It would be another long night.

  In Egypt's delegation again was Mervat Tallaway, of which Inner City Press previously reported when she headed ESCWA in Beirut.

  Others noted the irony that the UN Population Fund, UNFPA, is headed by Babatunde Osotimehin of Nigeria but his country is taking a different view. This split was contrasted, for example, with elsewhere in the UN system Frenchman Herve Ladsous using his post atop UN Peacekeeping to serve France. "That's not the UN," a Permanent Representative said. But for now it is.

  Meanwhile when UNFPA's Representative in Sudan was thrown out on April 7, the UN tried to say nothing. Inner City Press wrote about it, went to the noon briefing and asked, and only after that got a (non) statement from UNFPA. What's next?

  While as increasingly often in the UN there was little media coverage, Inner City Press and another reporter were told they could not enter Conference Room 1 through its front door. The Free UN Coalition for Access objected; access was gained.

During the lull several Ambassadors came to speaking about"the Burundi cable," here. Some predicted that the SRSG might be tossed out even before the UN's mandate expires at the end of the year.

  Down on the floor of Conference Room 1, a delegate noted that now CPD47 had surpassed "last year when we ended at 13 minutes after midnight." 

   And after a long and murky night in the basement of the UN, a text was in fact adopted followed by a slew of mostly angry speeches from 6 to 7 am. 

Argentina's Permanent Representative regretted that language about unilateral sanctions, debt was not retained. She was followed by speakers from Jordan and Australia, all Security Council members this year. There are not a lot of 6 am Security Council meetings. But this is another part of the UN.

   Iran, set for a big role in CPD 48, joined with Egypt and Oman in slamming the deletion of language about "foreign occupation." South Africa pointed out paragraphs on which it negotiated in it national capacity, NOT as part of the African Group.

  The US speech was surprisingly upbeat, glad for citations to sexual and reproductive health, eager for the ICPD session in General Assembly. Hungary said it does not take "reproductive rights" to include abortion. The Holy See took this further. The European Union's deputy said that principles agreed to in Cairo 20 years ago are being re-litigated now. Yes, it's Culture Wars.  

   Then UNFPA head Babatunde Osotimehin gave a wrap-up speech with empty bottle of big-name soda in front of him. Caffeine, okay. But ads?  Then the UN Population Division. But as Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have asked before, what of Myanmar's anti-Royhinga census and reproduction policies? Speaking of reproductive issues?

   There were fast announcement of the next session, CPD 48, with Belgium chairing and some other news soon to follow. Watch this site.