South Asia, US refuse to sign UN gay-rights declaration

In December, 66 countries signed a United Nations declaration that urged countries to decriminalize homosexuality. Unfortunately the US, along with all South Asian countries (aside from Nepal) refused to sign!

"Sponsored by France, the declaration was backed by the 27 member European Union, but the US, the Vatican, Russia and China, along with all Islamic countries, refused to sign the declaration.

The non-signatories also included seven of the eight members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Nepal was the only signatory from SAARC.

According to the media report, Sri Lanka had also refused to sign a counter-declaration by Syria, which warned that decriminalising homosexuality may “legitimize paedophilia”. This declaration was signed by 57 countries, mostly from Catholic and Muslim countries.

The unprecedented gay rights declaration was submitted to the UN General Assembly by Argentinean ambassador Jorge Arguello, representing a third of the world body’s 192 countries.

The appeal is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in article one that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

The European nations backing the declaration waged their campaign in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

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