United Nations: It's Okay to Kill the Gay

[Lars77]

Source: Huffington Post

NEW YORK, NY -- Last week, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly voted on a special resolution addressing extrajudicial, arbitrary and summary executions. The resolution affirms the duties of member countries to protect the right to life of all people with a special emphasis on a call to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. The resolution highlights particular groups historically subject to executions including street children, human rights defenders, members of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority communities, and, for the past 10 years, the resolution has included sexual orientation as a basis on which some individuals are targeted for death.

The tiny West African nation of Benin (on behalf of the UN's African Group) proposed an amendment to strike sexual minorities from the resolution. The amendment was adopted with 79 votes in favor, 70 against, 17 abstentions and 26 absent.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thor-halvorssen/united-nations-its-okay-t_b_787024.html

[bluestateguy]

1. Take note

and that goes for those of you who demand UN approval for everything that this country ever does in the world.

[BlueIris]

7. Noted. nt

[ZombieHorde]

2. All of a sudden John Bolton seems like less of an ass. nt

[readmoreoften]

3. +1

[rollin74]

4. horrible

[sakabatou]

5. For fuck's sake...

[Art_from_Ark]

6. 17 abstentions and 27 absent

The resolution is passed by 9 votes.
That's just pathetic.

[TheWatcher]

8. Well, if that's the way the U.N. wants to play it, they should remember all humans, gay or not

have the right to defend themselves and engage in self-preservation.

So if it's OK for you to kill us, it's perfectly fine for us to kill you in self-defense, should you be stupid enough to try, and make the world a better place.

Yes, that's a pretty dark, diabolical statement, but if you're saying we have no choice....

Hey, you started it.

When did I wake up in The Nazi Galaxy?

I am so sick of this fucking insane planet.

STOP THIS CRAZY THING!

[struggle4progress]

9. Thor Halvorssen is usually a rightwing propagandist; I generally don't trust his summaries

[Turborama]

11. What about The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)?

Governments Remove Sexual Orientation from UN Resolution Condemning Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

11/17/2010

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and ARC International are deeply disappointed with yesterday’s vote in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly to remove a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The resolution urges States to protect the right to life of all people, including by calling on states to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. For the past 10 years, the resolution has included sexual orientation in the list of discriminatory grounds on which killings are often based.

The removed reference was originally contained in a non-exhaustive list in the resolution highlighting the many groups of people that are particularly targeted by killings - including persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, persons acting as human rights defenders (such as lawyers, journalists or demonstrators) as well as street children and members of indigenous communities. Mentioning sexual orientation as a basis on which people are targeted for killing highlights a situation in which particular vigilance is required in order for all people to be afforded equal protection.

The amendment removing the reference to sexual orientation was sponsored by Benin on behalf of the African Group in the UN General Assembly and was adopted with 79 votes in favor, 70 against, 17 abstentions and 26 absent.

“This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development,” said Cary Alan Johnson, Executive Director of IGLHRC. “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 criminalize homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime, and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalizing homosexuality.”

More: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/pressroom/pressrelease/1257.html

[struggle4progress]

12. That seems more accurate. The South Africa vote surprised me. Here's an article on the politics:

GA Third Committee deletes 'sexual orientation' from resolution on extrajudicial executions
Last Updated on Monday, 22 November 2010
For the first time in over ten years, African, Arab and Islamic States in the Third Committee were successful in their bid to remove a reference to sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions ... However, this year the decision by the African Group, Arab Group and OIC to jointly (rather than individually) bring an amendment finally tipped the balance in the other direction ... All States that spoke in support of the amendment began by confirming their belief that human rights should be equally enjoyed by all, particularly the right to live free from discrimination and violence ... Benin, Morocco, Cuba and Jamaica argued that deleting the reference to sexual orientation was a 'non-selective' and 'non-controversial' way for the Third Committee to avoid this divisive issue, and at the same time, not exclude any group from protection by the State. St. Lucia echoed this point, adding that the co-sponsors' ‘shopping list’ approach was not only unwieldy, but would lead to 'misinterpretation and misuse' ... Latin American States, which have been strong advocates of the rights of LGBT people in the General Assembly in recent years, were largely absent from the discussion ... A new element in the discussions at the Third Committee was the suggestion that if the international community wanted to address the issue of sexual orientation, it should agree to do so in a direct and focused manner, rather than through divisive resolutions. It was notable that this suggestion came from Benin (on behalf of the African Group) and South Africa ... South Africa suggested that an open-ended intergovernmental discussion was required so that States could establish the parameters of sexual orientation under international law ... http://www.ishr.ch/general-assembly/957-ga-third-committee-takes-backward-step-on-sexual-orientation-in-relation-to-extrajudicial-executions

[Turborama]

16. "not exclude any group from protection by the State"

That article has really confused me. Either they're protected or they're not, which is it? :shrug:

[struggle4progress]

17. It's a GA resolution, not part of international law. It has no actual force, beyond

getting countries to say they oppose to extrajudicial execution. It doesn't actually protect, or fail to protect, anyone. What can be done with it is this: human rights advocates can push countries towards more meaningful steps, by pointing out they signed off on the resolution against extrajudicial execution.

There's a fight every year about the mention of homosexuality in the non-exhaustive list of examples: some of the less progressive countries always want homosexuality removed from the list; reasons for this can vary, country by country. This year, some additional countries decided that it would be better not to have a constant fight over the resolution, and agreed to support removal of homosexuality from the non-exhaustive list of examples. The argument for that position is that one thus eliminates controversy about opposition to extrajudicial executions, and the language in the resolution makes clear anyway that the list is not intended to be exhaustive. Nobody said extrajudicial execution of gays was OK, though some of the countries that voted for the removal from the list are clearly very hostile to gay rights, and some execute gays; others country (such as Cuba and South Africa) appear not to be hostile to gay rights; some argued that protecting sexuality rights was important enough to deserve separate consideration. In short, understanding the politics of this requires more than a look at yes/no votes on the removal amendment

The US position seems to have been that removal from the list sent the wrong signal

[jancantor]

13. It's not propaganda. I posted a link to an article on it, as have others

It's just another example of the complete irrelevance and lack of moral standing of the UN. Let's also remember they passed a resolution regarding approval of laws "vilifying" religion, too.

It's disgusting. It's the UN

[struggle4progress]

14. See my #12 above

[struggle4progress]

10. Here's the resolution A/C.3/65/L.29 text as of 12 November:

Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,1 which guarantees the
right to life, liberty and security of person, the relevant provisions of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2 and other relevant human
rights conventions,
Reaffirming the mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights
Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, as set out in Council
resolution 8/3 of 18 June 2008,3
Welcoming the universal ratification of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August
1949,4 which alongside human rights law provide an important framework of
accountability in relation to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions during
armed conflict,
Mindful of all its resolutions on the subject of extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions and the resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and of
the Human Rights Council on the subject,
Noting with deep concern that impunity continues to be a major cause of the
perpetuation of violations of human rights, including extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions,
Acknowledging that international human rights law and international
humanitarian law are complementary and mutually reinforcing,
Noting with deep concern the growing number of civilians and persons hors de
combat killed in situations of armed conflict and internal strife,
Acknowledging that extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions may under
certain circumstances amount to genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes,
as defined in international law, including in the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court,5 and recalling in this regard that each individual State has the
responsibility to protect its populations from such crimes as set out in General
Assembly resolutions 60/1 of 16 September 2005 and 63/308 of 14 September 2009,
Convinced of the need for effective action to prevent, combat and eliminate the
abhorrent practice of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, which
represent flagrant violations of human rights or a negative impact on the enjoyment
of human rights, particularly the right to life,
1. Strongly condemns once again all the extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions that continue to occur throughout the world;
2. Demands that all States ensure that the practice of extrajudicial, summary
or arbitrary executions is brought to an end and that they take effective action to
prevent, combat and eliminate the phenomenon in all its forms and manifestations;
3. Reiterates the obligation of all States to conduct exhaustive and impartial
investigations into all suspected cases of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions, to identify and bring to justice those responsible, while ensuring the
right of every person to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and
impartial tribunal established by law, to grant adequate compensation within a
reasonable time to the victims or their families, and to adopt all necessary measures,
including legal and judicial measures, to put an end to impunity and to prevent the
further occurrence of such executions, as recommended in the Principles on the
Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal, Arbitrary and Summary
Executions;6
4. Calls upon Governments and invites intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations to pay greater attention to the work of national
level commissions of inquiry into extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
with a view to ensuring the effective contribution of these commissions to
accountability and to combating impunity;
5. Calls upon all States, in order to prevent extrajudicial, summary and
arbitrary executions, to comply with their obligations under relevant provisions of
international human rights instruments, and further calls upon States which retain
the death penalty to pay particular regard to the provisions contained in articles 6,
14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2 and articles
37 and 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,7 bearing in mind the
safeguards and guarantees set out in Economic and Social Council resolutions
1984/50 of 25 May 1984 and 1989/64 of 24 May 1989, and taking into account the
recommendations of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding the need to respect
essential procedural guarantees, including the right to seek pardon or commutation
of sentence;
6. Urges all States:
(a) To take all measures required by international human rights law and
international humanitarian law, to prevent loss of life, in particular that of children,
during public demonstrations, internal and communal violence, civil unrest, public
emergencies or armed conflicts, and to ensure that the police, law enforcement
agents, armed forces and other agents acting on behalf of or with the consent or
acquiescence of the State act with restraint and in conformity with international
human rights law and international humanitarian law, including the principles of
proportionality and necessity, and in this regard to ensure that police and law
enforcement officials are guided by the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement
Officials8 and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law
Enforcement Officials;9
(b) To ensure the effective protection of the right to life of all persons under
their jurisdiction and to investigate promptly and thoroughly all killings, including
those targeted at specific groups of persons, such as racially motivated violence
leading to the death of the victim, killings of persons belonging to national or
ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, killings of persons affected by terrorism
or hostage-taking or living under foreign occupation, killings of refugees, internally
displaced persons, migrants, street children or members of indigenous communities,
killings of persons for reasons related to their activities as human rights defenders,
lawyers, journalists or demonstrators, killings committed in the name of passion or
in the name of honour, all killings committed for any discriminatory reason,
including sexual orientation, as well as all other cases where a person’s right to life
has been violated, and to bring those responsible to justice before a competent,
independent and impartial judiciary at the national or, where appropriate,
international level, and to ensure that such killings, including those committed by
security forces, police and law enforcement agents, paramilitary groups or private
forces, are neither condoned nor sanctioned by State officials or personnel;
7. Affirms the obligation of States, in order to prevent extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, to protect the lives of all persons deprived of their
liberty in all circumstances and to investigate and respond to deaths in custody;
8. Urges all States to ensure that persons deprived of their liberty are
treated humanely and with full respect for their human rights and to ensure that their
treatment, including judicial guarantees, and conditions conform to the Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners10 and, where applicable, to the
Geneva Conventions of 12 August 19494 and the Additional Protocols thereto, of
8 June 197711 in relation to all persons detained in armed conflict, as well as to
other pertinent international instruments;
9. Also urges States to prevent and, where such situations exist, to end
prisoner control of prisons, bearing in mind the obligation of the State to protect
human rights, including the protection against extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions;
10. Welcomes the International Criminal Court as an important contribution
to ending impunity concerning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and,
taking note of the growing awareness of the Court worldwide, calls upon those
States that are under an obligation to cooperate with the Court to provide such
cooperation and assistance in the future, in particular with regard to arrest and
surrender, the provision of evidence, the protection and relocation of victims and
witnesses and the enforcement of sentences, and further welcomes the fact that one
hundred and fourteen States have already ratified or acceded to and one hundred and
thirty-nine States have signed the Rome Statute of the Court,5 and calls upon all
those States that have not ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute to give serious
consideration to doing so;
11. Acknowledges the importance of ensuring the protection of witnesses for
the prosecution of those suspected of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,
and urges States to intensify efforts to establish and implement effective witness
protection programmes or other measures, and in this regard encourages the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop practical
tools designed to encourage and facilitate greater attention to the protection of
witnesses;
12. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to organize training programmes and to support projects with a view
to training or educating military forces, law enforcement officers and government
officials in human rights and humanitarian law issues connected with their work and
to include a gender and child rights perspective in such training, and appeals to the
international community and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to
support endeavours to that end;
13. Expresses its concern over the occurrence of vigilante killings around the
globe, encourages States, in order to support efforts to prevent and end such killings,
to undertake or facilitate systematic studies of the phenomenon, with a view to
taking context-specific measures and focused action, and requests the Office of the
High Commissioner and other relevant United Nations entities, upon request, to
support such studies and their follow-up;
14. Takes note of the potential of new technologies in the prevention and
investigation of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, encourages the
Office of the High Commissioner to consider convening, within existing resources,
an expert consultation to discuss the current and potential human rights applications
of new technologies and the risks and obstacles to their effective use, open to the
participation of Governments, regional organizations, relevant United Nations
bodies, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders, and invites the
Office of the High Commissioner to report on the outcome of the consultation, in
the form of a summary of discussions, to the Human Rights Council;
15. Takes note of the reports of the Special Rapporteur to the General
Assembly;12
16. Commends the important role that the Special Rapporteur plays towards
the elimination of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and encourages
the Special Rapporteur to continue, within his mandate, to collect information from
all concerned, to respond effectively to reliable information that comes before him,
to follow up on communications and country visits and to seek the views and
comments of Governments and to reflect them, as appropriate, in his reports;
17. Acknowledges the important role of the Special Rapporteur in identifying
cases where extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions could amount to
genocide and crimes against humanity or war crimes, and urges him to collaborate
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, as appropriate,
the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, in
addressing situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions that are of
particularly serious concern or in which early action might prevent further
deterioration;
18. Welcomes the cooperation established between the Special Rapporteur
and other United Nations mechanisms and procedures in the field of human rights,
and encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue efforts in that regard;
19. Urges all States, in particular those that have not done so, to cooperate
with the Special Rapporteur so that his mandate can be carried out effectively,
including by favourably and rapidly responding to requests for visits, mindful that
country visits are one of the essential tools for the fulfilment of the mandate of the
Special Rapporteur, and by responding in a timely manner to communications and
other requests transmitted to them by the Special Rapporteur;
20. Expresses its appreciation to those States that have received the Special
Rapporteur and asks them to examine his recommendations carefully, invites them
to inform him of the actions taken on those recommendations, and requests other
States to cooperate in a similar way;
21. Again requests the Secretary-General to continue to use his best
endeavours in cases where the minimum standards of legal safeguards provided for
in articles 6, 9, 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
appear not to have been respected;
22. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with
adequate human, financial and material resources to enable him to carry out his
mandate effectively, including through country visits;
23. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue, in close collaboration
with the High Commissioner, in conformity with the mandate of the High
Commissioner established by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141 of
20 December 1993, to ensure that personnel specialized in human rights and
humanitarian law issues form part of United Nations missions, where appropriate, in
order to deal with serious violations of human rights, such as extrajudicial, summary
or arbitrary executions;
24. Requests the Special Rapporteur to submit to the General Assembly at its
sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh sessions a report on the situation worldwide in regard
to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and his recommendations for more
effective action to combat this phenomenon;
25. Decides to continue its consideration of the question at its sixty-seventh
session.

[Kingofalldems]

20. Thanks. I know the freepers have always hated the UN

and are ready to pounce on anything to make the UN look evil.

[StarsInHerHair]

15. and I wonder if American evangelicals have been in Benin

'ministering' to them. Why is it some types seem to enjoy stripping other people of their Humanity? Too often they give themselves the power to end the lives of others, making themselves into false little gods.

[L.Torsalo]

18. The UN can suck my syphillitic genitals.

I say it's open season on these liars and murderers. Not hunting season, just "no more bullshit" season. F'UN.

[Obamanaut]

19. More discussion here ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9606175

[24601]

21. UN voting is all F'd up anyway. It ought to be along the lines of

shareholders since member states are "taxed" for general operations and for peacekeeping operations. One monetary unit of contribution (I care not whether it's a dollar, ruble, won-ton, euro, goat or chicken), one vote.

And if you don't pay your tax, your General Assembly voting and speaking rights are suspended (US Congress - are you listening?)

And on the reform side, with almost 200 member nations, no member nation should be taxed more than 5% of the UN budget. When the US people are taxed at 22% of the UN regular budget, China gets off with 2.7%, and Saudi Arabia is let than 1%, there is something seriously wrong.

"The government (or UN) that steals from Peter to pay Paul can always count on Paul's support"

[Octafish]

22. Genocide is 'OK' if the target is gay -- UN.

Evil continues to take the day, for too many.

[sarcasmo]

23. Scary situation. The New World Order wants genocide and looks like they are going to us the

United Nations as there proxy.