Geneva: The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council today passed a resolution for the "Protection of the Family" (link), despite opposition from the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The resolution was passed by 26 votes in favour, with 14 votes against the resolution and six abstentions. Supporters of the resolution included the Russian Federation, India and Indonesia.
Earlier the Council rejected an amendment, designed to undermine the resolution, which promoted the false concept of "various forms of the family", as opposed to the natural family based upon marriage between a man and a woman.
Patrick Buckley, representing the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) at Geneva, described the vote as "truly historic". He said: "Rarely has a resolution been so vigorously resisted by anti-life and anti-family forces."
The resolution:
- calls for "concerted actions to strengthen family-centred policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensve approach to human rights and development"
- recognises that "the family has the primary responsibility for the nurturing and protection of children"
- says that the family is "the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children"
- describes the family "the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State"
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Notes for editors:
Roll-call of votes on the resolution:
Yes (26):
- Algeria
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- China
- Congo
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- India
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Maldives
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Russian Federation
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
No (14):
- Austria
- Chile
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Montenegro
- Republic of Korea
- Romania
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
Abstained (6):
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
- Peru
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
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