6-11-2016
Earlier this month the UN held a discussion about a Human Rights Council resolution 32/2 establishing the UN LGBT expert, which was adopted by a vote of 23-18 with 6 abstentions previously.
Botswana’s U.N. Ambassador Charles Ntwaagae said that African nations want the General Assembly to delay consideration of a Human Rights Council resolution adopted on June 30 that authorized the appointment of an expert to monitor LGBT rights in order to discuss “the legality of the creation of this mandate.” The Africa Group opposed the new envoy because gay rights issues would take precedence over “other issues of paramount importance, such as the right to development and the racism agenda.”
In the video, starting from 1.12.37, the representative of the delegation Ethiopian government with a broken and grammatically questionable English said
Thank you Mr. President for your eloquent report. Madam Chairperson, it has been made a great stride to enable the Human Rights Council to be an independent arm of the General Assembly responsible for human rights issues alongside the UNSC for the peace and security issues and the UN economic and social affairs for economic and social issues. In deed, the human rights council has proved to be up to its expectations preserving the integrity of the system is therefore at most of necessary. A reopening of issues adopted in Geneva would play a negative role, which my delegation will not support.
Although the speech is very unclear and unfathomable, the TPLF representative at the UN seems to support the resolution deviating from the African Group’s position.
DW reported that the draft resolution questioning the legality of the envoy’s mandate will be put to a vote on Tuesday. If adopted it would then need to be voted upon later this year by the General Assembly.
