India Votes In Favor Of Russian Resolution At UN On Gay Issue

U.S. Permanent Representative Samantha Power said that "vote should never have happened" as it sets a dangerous. precedent in challenging the secretary-general's authority to make administrative decisions.

"We must speak plainly about what Russia tried to do today: diminish the authority of the UN Secretary-General and export to the UN its domestic hostility to LGBT rights," Power said.

UN staff unions welcomed the Fifth Committee's decision to maintain benefits for the same-sex partners of UN staff.

"The UN advocates for human rights around the world and it's quite right therefore that it should not pay benefits to staff based on their sexual orientation. We're glad that after three months of uncertainty on how the vote would go, common sense prevailed," said Ian Richards, President of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations representing 60,000 staff working at the UN.

Haq had said last year that the UN chief had not consulted member states in arriving at the new policy but had acted on his own authority as the head of the management of the United Nations.

Russia's deputy ambassador Petr Iliichev stressed that his country was not challenging the role of the Secretary-General but the changes under consideration must be made in consultation with Member States.

He said the nationality of the staff member should be taken into consideration when making entitlement determinations.

He said the new policy discriminated against a number of UN Member States, as it did not consider their legislative and judicial systems, and denied the Assembly the opportunity to discuss its substance.

Saudi Arabia's representative Bilal Taher Muhhamad Wilson said he voted in favour of the draft decision on moral grounds as the Kingdom held that same-sex marriage was immoral.


Also Read: 10 Things You Can Do For FREE On The Internet
Section 66A Quashed: Key Points To Know