01 Oct UN Human Rights Council condemns violence and discrimination against LGBTI people
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday passed a resolution which condemns discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Chile, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, states that it ‘does not seek to create new rights. … There are some whose rights are more violated and need more protection.’
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay were joined by 42 additional co-sponsors.
‘The leadership of these Latin American states reflects strong commitment to human rights for all and follows the significant progress that is being made by governments and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, travesti, and intersex activists in the region,’ said Andres Rivera Duarte from the Observatorio Derechos Humanos y Legislación, Chile.
The resolution survived seven hostile amendments introduced by Egypt on behalf of ten States which sought to strip the resolution of all references to sexual orientation and gender identity.
In the end, the resolution passed 21-16 with seven abstentions (see list of votes below).
The resolution asks the High Commissioner for Human Rights to update a 2012 study on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and it also expresses grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination in all regions of the world committed against LGBTI people.
Below is the full list of how each country voted:
States supporting: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Romania, South Africa, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela
States against: Algeria, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, The Russian Federation
Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Kazakhastan, India, Namibia, Sierra Leone
Absent: Benin
Source: Gay Star News