LGBT Rights Archives - UN Watch

UN's new gay rights monitor should investigate UNHRC members that execute gays, says UN Watch

unwatch — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 13:18:24 +0000

Intervention by UN Watch, at the first consultation of the Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, delivered at the United Nations, Geneva, 25 January 2017, by David Mendoza-Wolfson.
Professor Muntarbhorn,
UN Watch believes that your new mandate has the potential to save lives. We congratulate you on your appointment, and look forward to working together to ensure protection for the victims who need it most.
Of the five areas you identified as instrumental for protection, we believe decriminalization must be foremost, for upon this depend the others.
According to the latest 2016 report by the International Lesbian & Gay Association, in 72 countries, homosexuality is still illegal—and in 13 countries, same-sex acts are punishable by death.
According to that report: in Afghanistan, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Mauritania, in Pakistan, in Qatar, in Saudi Arabia, in Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, in Yemen and parts of Nigeria and Somalia, as well as those parts of Iraq and Syria controlled by the Islamic State, consensual homosexual conduct is punishable by death. We note for the record that none of these countries were present for your consultation yesterday with UN member states.
Do you agree that your time and resources should prioritize victims of those 72 countries who still criminalize, flog, and imprison individuals on account of their sexual orientation?
Would you address as a first priority potential victims in the 13 countries that impose the death penalty?
Finally, given that some of these perpetrators are members of the United Nations human rights Council—including Qatar the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which recently began a three-year term—and that members are pledged to set an example and uphold the highest standards of human rights, would you consider making country visits to such places, or to visiting nearby countries to collect testimonies, in the event that they would refuse to allow you to visit?
Thank you, Professor.

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Islamic & African Nations Boycott Meeting With First U.N. Expert on Anti-Gay Violence

unwatch — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 06:39:30 +0000

Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn (above) is the UN’s newly appointed Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).

GENEVA, Jan. 25, 2017 – Islamic and African nations, where violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community are most prevalent, boycotted a session held yesterday and today with the first U.N. expert on anti-gay violence and discrimination.
Prof. Vitit Muntarhbhorn, the UN’s new Independent Expert (IE) on violence and discriminiation based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), held his first public consultations with UN member states and NGOs yesterday and today.
No country from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) or the 54-member African Group took the floor, and barely a handful were even in the room.
The new mandate was adopted by the UNHRC in June 2016, and confirmed by the UN General Assembly in December 2016 amidst a heated vote in which the OIC and African Group made a failed bid to block passage of the new mandate.
During the June 2016 vote, the OIC, represented by Pakistan, submitted a total of 11 amendments to gut the resolution. Only 4 of these proposed amendments were adopted. But, while some of the most objectionable amendments – such as one which would have removed 6 out of the resolution’s 8 paragraphs and another seeking to erase completely the term sexual orientation and replace it with the term sexual disorientation – were rejected, those ultimately adopted significantly weakened the resolution.
Specifically, the accepted amendments added language calling for the respect of social and religious sensitivities of the people of different countries and of not resorting to using external pressures and coercive measures against states.
After the OIC and African Group failed to vote down the resolution, Egypt announced it would boycott the SOGI mandate of protecting LGBTI individuals against violence, and dozens of other like-minded states followed.
During the consultation, Prof. Muntarbhorn announced that he would be making his first country visits as IE to Argentina and other states in South America. Of the 72 states in the world which criminalize homosexual relations, only two are within South America.
UN Watch took the floor to urge the new U.N. monitor to prioritize urgent situations.

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Egyptian envoy boycotts UN’s new monitor on anti-gay violence; "contrary to my convictions and the values I stand for"

unwatch — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:04:32 +0000

Amr Ramadan, Egyptian ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council: protecting gays from violence and discrimination is “contrary to my convictions and the values I stand for.”
GENEVA, Aug. 17, 2016 – A 5-member UN human rights committee announced that a Thai law professor is its choice to be the UN’s first monitor against anti-gay violence, yet an Egyptian diplomat on the panel is boycotting the mandate.
In a report circulated by the president of the UN human rights council (UNHRC), its Consultative Group—comprised of five diplomats who evaluate candidates for UNHRC expert positions—named Vitit Muntarbhorn, a Bangkok law professor who has held prior UN rights posts, as the world body’s first expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, the UN report reveals that Amr Ramadan, Egypt’s ambassador to the UNHRC, refused to participate in the selection process. He detailed his reasons to the council president, in a letter obtained by UN Watch (text below, PDF original here).
According to the Egyptian representative, a mandate on protecting gays from violence and discrimination is “contrary to my convictions and the values I stand for,” “beyond universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms,” and shows “utter disregard to the principle of universality of internationally agreed human rights.”
Ramadan reaffirmed that the OIC—the powerful Islamic bloc comprised of 56 UN member states and the Palestinian Authority—”shall boycott this mandate and shall not recognize its creation nor cooperate or interact with it in any form.”
Human rights activists decried the OIC’s boycott.
“The Islamic states’ boycott of a mandate to protect gays from being attacked or killed is morally indefensible,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights group.
“Moreover, for those states which are members of the Human Rights Council—like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE—their refusal to cooperate with the mandate is an express breach of their obligations.”
“If Egypt is officially boycotting a UN human rights expert, it should fully resign from the committee that selects them,” said Neuer.

______________________

Letter from Egyptian Ambassador Amr Ramadan to H.E. Ambassador Kyonglim Choi, President of the Human Rights Council
Geneva, 29 July 2016
Your Excellency,
I am addressing you with reference to the appointment of an Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity pursuant to Human Rights Council’s resolution 32/2 adopted by recorded vote on 30 June 2016 and in the context of my current membership of the Consultative Group of the Human Rights Council, serving in my personal capacity. In this connection, I am keen to highlight the following points:
– This mandate was created at the backdrop of unprecedented divisiveness and polarization with a level that has never been associated with the creation of any other mandate. It is noteworthy that the paragraphs relevant to the creation of the mandate were retained by a recorded vote of 19 to 17 and 6 abstentions, not to mention that the resolution as a whole was modified by an unprecedented number of accepted amendments. These very specific circumstances significantly compromise the legitimacy of the created mandate;
– Contrary to the announced explanation that this mandate will be restricted to combating violence and discrimination, which are already addressed through other resolutions and existing mandates, it is crystal clear that this resolution and the mandate emanating from it are designed for codifying new and distinct set of rights and protection for a specific group of individuals. For this reason, I am of the firm conviction that the creation of this mandate is in Ulta Vires to international human rights law and is beyond universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms in a manner that amounts to utter disregard to the principle of universality of internationally agreed human rights as outlined in international human rights law[1];
– The announced formal position delivered on 1st of July 2016 on behalf of the OIC group (except Albania), at the explanation of vote after the vote on resolutions and decisions adopted under agenda item 3 during the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council, reiterated that OIC Member States shall boycott this mandate and shall not recognize its creation nor cooperate or interact with it in any form or format.
Bearing in mind the aforementioned considerations, I would like to bring to your kind attention that I have decided not to take part at the work of the Consultative Group relevant to its upcoming recommendation on the selection of this mandate-holder. I find it difficult to engage in an exercise which is contrary to my convictions and the values I stand for.
My decision in this regard is also in line with Pp4 bis of the said resolution (32/2) that stressed the need to maintain joint ownership of the international human rights agenda and to consider human rights issues in an objective and non-confrontational manner, as well as Pp4 Quart on “Reiterating the importance of respecting regional, cultural and religious value systems as well as particularities in considering human rights issues;”, Pp4 Quint on “Underlining that fundamental importance of respecting the relevant domestic debates at the national level on matters associated with historical, cultural, social and religious sensitivities;”, Pp4 Sept where the Council expressed concern at “any attempt to undermine the international human rights system by seeking to impose concepts or notions pertaining to social matters, including private individual conduct, that fall outside the internationally agreed human rights legal framework, taking into account that such attempts constitute an expression of disregard for the universality of human rights;” and Pp4 Octi on “Underlining that this resolution should be implemented while ensuring respect for the sovereign right of each country as well as its national laws, development priorities, the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of its people and should also be in full conformity with universally recognized international human rights;”.
Allow me, Mr. President, to take the liberty to inform my fellow colleagues at the Consultative Group and Member States with my decision in this respect.
I continue to look forward for future opportunities for cooperating with you in relation to the Consultative Group and issues of mutual interest and concern and on the basis of genuine and constructive dialogue towards the global protection of universally recognized human rights.

Sincerely,
Ambassador Amr Ramdan
Permanent Representative of Egypt
cc: H.E. Ambassador Elizabeth Lauren
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in Geneva
& Current Chair of the Consultative Group of the Human Rights Council
[1] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. the two International Covenants and the core international human rights treaties.

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South Africa's troubling stance on gay rights

unwatch — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 09:33:51 +0000

SOUTH AFRICA, often dubbed the “rainbow nation,” has come under increased criticism this week following its decision to abstain from a key vote in support of gay rights during the last session of the UN Human Rights Council — not least since South Africa’s progressive 1996 Constitution is unique for its explicit proscription of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, South Africa’s Ambassador to the UN, explained the decision yesterday on national radio. Her efforts to justify South Africa’s abstention on the vote drew the ire of South Africa’s LGBTI and human rights community.
According to the interviewing journalist, Redi Tihabi, Mxakato-Diseko justified her government’s position as follows:

South Africa did not oppose the vote on LGBTI rights, it just abstained.
The approach of the countries who supported the UN resolution was “arrogant.”
Many developed countries oppose South Africa’s resolutions.
No South African NGOs approved the resolution.
South Africa “carr[ies] Africa with us,” and has to prioritize African solidarity.

That the rainbow nation felt the need to abandon its principles at the UN in order to align itself with the 38 African nations which criminalize homosexuality is deeply regrettable. Although South Africa domestically has a good record in promoting and protecting gay rights, its recent actions in this domain have been far from exemplary. South Africa should serve as an example of tolerance and lead the way for a more inclusive continent. Instead, it chooses to engage in a race to the bottom as it systematically backs down from speaking out in favor of LGBTI rights on the international stage.
South Africa’s decision not to support gay rights at this vote is symptomatic of a broader problem at the Human Rights Council — countries typically subordinate the promotion and protection of human rights to geopolitical or other interests. “Solidarity” with Sub-Saharan Africa is deemed more important than acting in line with the nation’s constitutional commitments or for the promotion of genuine human rights. This is neither the first nor the last time that we states prioritize political maneuvering over human rights at the UN.

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Islamic States Block 22 Gay Rights Groups From UN Aids Summit

unwatch — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:42:28 +0000

PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GENEVA, June 8, 2016 — UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental human rights organization, today called on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft to “name and shame” the countries responsible for excluding of 22 gay and transgender rights groups from the UNGA’sHigh Level Meeting on Ending Aids, which opens today with heads of state, cabinet ministers, corporate executives, and people living with HIV.

The NGOs were excluded from the UN conference due to a letter reportedly sent by Egypt on behalf of 51 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, backed by Russia, Cameroon and Tanzania. The UN refuses to release the text, but it was seen by AP and others. Several Arab and African countries that criminalize homosexuality act in concert at the UN to block recognition of gay rights.

“By barring activists from this conference because of their sexual orientation, the UN is committing a gross violation of the equality and anti-discrimination guarantees of its own Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.

“The discrimination is particularly absurd and pernicious in the context of this HIV summit, because it silences the voices of those who suffer most from the problem the summit is supposed to address, with transgender people 49 times more likely than others to be infected by HIV.”

UN Watch noted that Mr. Ban last week said he was “opposed to the exclusion of LGBT organizations” from the conference, noting that “NGOs are close to communities affected by the epidemic and they must be part of the response.

“This is welcome but insufficient,” said Neuer. “The only way to stop non-democracies from the escalating and widespread phenomenon of NGOs being barred from normal UN participation is for the head of the organization to call out serial offenders and hold them to account. Unless the enemies of civil society are named and shamed, they will continue to block human rights activists—especially gay rights defenders—with impunity.”

Neuer noted that this is not an isolated incident. When Mr. Ban recognized gay marriage for UN staffers in 2014, a coalition of 44 states including Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria tried, but failed, to block the move

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Rights abusers win coveted UN rights posts

zadmin — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:00:33 +0000

Rights abusers win coveted UN rights posts
Elected to ECOSOC: Misogynistic Pakistan, slave-holding Mauritania, gay-bashing Uganda, repressive Zimbabwe
Ban Ki-moon, Samantha Power, EU should condemn
GENEVA, Oct. 30 – UN Watch today called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon, rights commissioner Prince Zeid, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and the EU’s Catherine Ashton to condemn yesterday’s UN election of slave-holding Mauritania, misogynistic Pakistan, gay-bashing Uganda and repressive Zimbabwe to its 54-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a top U.N. body that regulates human rights groups, shapes the composition of key U.N. women’s rights bodies, and adopts resolutions on subjects ranging from Internet freedom to female genital mutilation.
“The election of abusers to top human rights positions undermines the credibility of the United Nations human rights system and casts a shadow upon the reputation of the organization as a whole,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.
“By empowering the perpetrators over the victims, the UN harms the cause of human rights and betrays its founding principles.”
Neuer highlighted the gross and systematic human rights violations of these four new ECOSOC members:

Mauritania allows slavery. According to a recent report by the Guardian, “up to 800,000 people in a nation of 3.5 million remain chattels,” with power and wealth overwhelmingly concentrated among lighter-skinned Moors, “leaving slave-descended darker-skinned Moors and black Africans on the edges of society.
Pakistan turns a blind eye to acid attacks against women, and continues to sentence Christians and minority Muslims to death for blasphemy, including its recent confirmation of Asia Bibi’s verdict.
Uganda‘s president this year signed into law its ‘Anti-Homosexuality Act,’ one of the harshest in the world, imposing life imprisonment against gays in some cases.
Zimbabwe continues to harass and intimidate human rights dissidents.

“When the criminals are made the judges, when the arsonists are named as fire-fighters, it’s a travesty of justice. These countries will now exercise power over human rights groups within the world body, and will try to silence their voices,” said Neuer.
“Tragically, the UN’s election today of regimes such as Mauritania — where there are hundreds of thousands living in slavery — sends a message that crass politics trumps basic human rights. The UN is letting down millions of victims around the globe who look to the world body for vital protection,” said Neuer.
ECOSOC’s Power Over UN Human Rights Bodies

Under the UN Charter, ECOSOC is the sole principal organ mandated to adopt resolutions for the purpose of “promoting respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.”
The elected regimes will now play a major role in choosing members of the Commission on the Status of Women, the executive of UN Women, and UNICEF, which protects children’s rights.
ECOSOC is the body that accredits and oversees human rights groups at the UN, deciding who can participate at the UN Human Rights Council. The dominant influence of non-democracies has often led to the rejection or expulsion of human rights groups that dare to criticize China, Cuba or other repressive UN member states, and they have often barred gay rights NGOs.”
Recent ECOSOC annual sessions debated resolutions on the treatment of prisoners, Internet freedom, discrimination, gender equality and female genital mutilation.
ECOSOC decides which nations will sit on, among others, the UN Commission for Social Development, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

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UN Recognizes Gay Marriage for Staffers, Yet Key UN Bodies Undermine Gay Rights

unwatch — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 16:34:23 +0000

GENEVA, July 8, 2014 – Geneva-based rights group UN Watch welcomed UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s recognition of staffers’ same-sex marriages, but said the world body would only send a clear message on equal rights when its top human rights bodies “stop adopting anti-gay resolutions, and stop promoting those who kill, persecute and criminalize gays.”
“We urge the Secretary-General to call out the UN Human Rights Council for its renewed spate of anti-gay measures,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, “as well as all influential UN bodies that are electing and empowering abusers.”
Latest Attack on Gay Rights by UN Human Rights Council
“In its latest June session, the UNHRC again refused, as it has done now for three years, to oppose violence against gays. Instead, on June 27th, it launched yet another thinly-veiled attack on gays by adopting a widely-condemned resolution entitled “Protection of the Family” — co-sponsored by abuser states such as Qatar and Mauritania, both on the list of 10 countries where homosexuality is punishable by death.”
“When democracies sought to expand the definition of family, the UNHRC’s anti-gay majority shut down all debate through a ‘No Action’ motion, a draconian measure used only once before in the entire history of the Council’s 46 regular and special sessions,” said Neuer.
“All of this comes as the Council continues to adopt similar resolutions invoking ‘traditional values’ — discourse which has been used by Russia, Nigeria and Uganda to justify anti-gay legislation,” said Neuer.
Top UN Bodies Promote Anti-Gay Perpetrators
Neuer expressed alarm at recent UN decisions that “elevate and empower notorious perpetrators of anti-gay discrimination,” saying such actions “send the worst message and only ensure the further undermining of fundamental human rights”:
– In a move that elicited wide criticism, the UN General Assembly unanimously elected Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, who supports his country’s infamously strict anti-gay laws, as President for the next year.
– Saudi Arabia, which executes gays, was recently elected to the UN Human Rights Council, as was the United Arab Emirates, which has similar laws. Russia took its seat this year despite anti-gay laws. Numerous other of the 47 UNHRC member states have laws making homosexuality illegal: Algeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia and Sierra Leone.
– In addition, other top UN human rights bodies have promoted such abusers:

The UN Committee on NGOs, which oversees the work of human rights groups, recently made Sudan its Vice-Chair, even though it executes gays; Pakistan was made Chair, though its laws make homosexuality illegal, as do other committee members such as Burundi, India, Morocco, Mozambique, and Senegal.
ECOSOC, a top UN organ which oversees the work of UN human rights commissions, includes Nigeria and Sudan, which execute gays; and countries that make homosexuality illegal such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya and Turkmenistan.
The UN Committee on the Status of Women includes Iran, Mauritania and Sudan, which execute gays; and countries that make homosexuality illegal such as Qatar, Somalia, and Yemen.

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UN Recognizes Gay Marriage for Staffers, Yet Key UN Bodies Undermine Gay Rights

zadmin — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:00:35 +0000

UN Recognizes Gay Marriage for Staffers, Yet Key UN Bodies Undermine Gay Rights
GENEVA, July 8, 2014 – Geneva-based rights group UN Watch welcomed UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s recognition of staffers’ same-sex marriages, but said the world body would only send a clear message on equal rights when its top human rights bodies “stop adopting anti-gay resolutions, and stop promoting those who kill, persecute and criminalize gays.”
“We urge the Secretary-General to call out the UN Human Rights Council for its renewed spate of anti-gay measures,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, “as well as all influential UN bodies that are electing and empowering abusers.”
Latest Attack on Gay Rights by UN Human Rights Council
“In its latest June session, the UNHRC again refused, as it has done now for three years, to oppose violence against gays. Instead, on June 27th, it launched yet another thinly-veiled attack on gays by adopting a widely-condemned resolution entitled “Protection of the Family” — co-sponsored by abuser states such as Qatar and Mauritania, both on the list of 10 countries where homosexuality is punishable by death.”
“When democracies sought to expand the definition of family, the UNHRC’s anti-gay majority shut down all debate through a ‘No Action’ motion, a draconian measure used only once before in the entire history of the Council’s 46 regular and special sessions,” said Neuer.
“All of this comes as the Council continues to adopt similar resolutions invoking ‘traditional values’ — discourse which has been used by Russia, Nigeria and Uganda to justify anti-gay legislation,” said Neuer.
Top UN Bodies Promote Anti-Gay Perpetrators
Neuer expressed alarm at recent UN decisions that “elevate and empower notorious perpetrators of anti-gay discrimination,” saying such actions “send the worst message and only ensure the further undermining of fundamental human rights”:
– In a move that elicited wide criticism, the UN General Assembly unanimously elected Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, who supports his country’s infamously strict anti-gay laws, as President for the next year.
– Saudi Arabia, which executes gays, was recently elected to the UN Human Rights Council, as was the United Arab Emirates, which has similar laws. Russia took its seat this year despite anti-gay laws. Numerous other of the 47 UNHRC member states have laws making homosexuality illegal: Algeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia and Sierra Leone.
– In addition, other top UN human rights bodies have promoted such abusers:

The UN Committee on NGOs, which oversees the work of human rights groups, recently made Sudan its Vice-Chair, even though it executes gays; Pakistan was made Chair, though its laws make homosexuality illegal, as do other committee members such as Burundi, India, Morocco, Mozambique, and Senegal.
ECOSOC, a top UN organ which oversees the work of UN human rights commissions, includes Nigeria and Sudan, which execute gays; and countries that make homosexuality illegal such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya and Turkmenistan.
The UN Committee on the Status of Women includes Iran, Mauritania, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, where homosexulatiy is punishable by death.

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Letter from UN’s Islamic group to UNHRC President Opposing Panel on Violence Against Gays

unwatch — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:49:36 +0000

PDF of original letter

PERMANENT MISSION OF PAKISTAN
TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND
OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

56 me de Moillebeau
1211 Geneva 19
Tel: (4122) 7491930
Fax: (4122) 734 8085
E-mail: mission.vakistan@ties.ita.int.

Ambassador
No. Pol/S0/2012

14 February 2012

H.E. Ms. Laura Dupuy Lasserre
President of the Human Rights Council
Geneva

My dear President,

I am writing to you in my capacity as Coordinator of the OIC Group on Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues in Geneva.

2. I wish to explain the position taken by the Member States of the OIC onResolution 17/19 and the subsequent Panel on “Discrimination and Violence based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” scheduled to be held on 7 March 2012 during the 19’th Session of the Human rights Council.

3. The OIC States are deeply concerned by the introduction in the Human Rights Council of controversial notions like “sexual orientation and gender identity.” The OIC countries have been consistent in their opposition to the consideration of these controversial notions in the context of human right at international fora.

4. We are seriously concerned at the attempt to introduce in the United Nations concepts that have no legal foundation in any international human rights instrument. The international community only recognizes those rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which were codified in subsequent international legal instruments.

5. We note with concern the attempts to create controversial “new notions” or “new standards” by misinterpreting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and intemational treaties to include such notions that were never articulated or agreed to by the UN membership. These attempts undermine not only the intent of the drafters and signatories to these human rights instruments, but also seriously jeopardize the entire international human rights framework.

6. We are even more disturbed at the attempt to focus on certain persons on the grounds of their abnormal sexual behaviour, while not focusing on the glaring instances of intolerance and discrimination in various parts of the world, be it on the basis of colour, race, gender or religion, to mention only a few.

7. It must also be recognized that the international community agreed during the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in 1993, that while considering the issue of human rights, national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind. From this perspective, the issue of sexual orientation is unacceptable to the OIC.

8. The OIC Member States are concerned that the Panel will discuss issues that relate to personal behavior and preferences, and have nothing to do with fundamental human rights. This debate will shift the focus from the real issues that deserve the attention of the Council.

9. For the reasons explained above the Member States of the OIC would like to place on record their opposition to the holding of this panel and will not accept its considerations and recommendations.

Sincerely yours,

Zamir Akram
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Coordinator of the OIC Group on Human Rights
and Humanitarian Issues

Copy to H.E. Ms. Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights

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