Wed 25 Mar 2015 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A last-ditch attempt by Russia to force the United Nations to abandon plans to extend spousal benefits to the same-sex partners of its staff has failed. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced in July that the organisation would recognise all legal same-sex marriages of staff regardless of whether their home countries recognise such unions. A UN general assembly budget committee voted 80-43 against the Russian attempt. Thirty seven countries formally abstained and thirty tree did not vote. Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria were among the countries that voted do deny same-sex couples parity with their heterosexual workmates. The USA's ambassador to the UN accused Russia of attempting to "export to the UN its domestic hostility to glbt rights" diminish the authority of the UN secretary-general and export to the UN its domestic hostility to LGBT rights,’ the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said in a statement after the vote. - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russia-fails-block-partner-benefits-gay-un-staff250315#sthash.4Iy34zR8.dpuf diminish the authority of the UN secretary-general and export to the UN its domestic hostility to LGBT rights,’ the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said in a statement after the vote. - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russia-fails-block-partner-benefits-gay-un-staff250315#sthash.4Iy34zR8.dpuf
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 25th March 2015 - 8:16pm