UN vote: DA writes to minister
The Democratic Alliance has written a letter to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in response to South Africa's recent vote to remove reference to sexual orientation from a United Nations resolution on extrajudicial killings. We believe that this vote runs contrary to our constitution and will serve to weaken the international community's response to extrajudicial killings based on sexual orientation.
A copy of the letter can be found below.
Dear Minister
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has noted with concern that South Africa's United Nations delegation has voted to remove reference to sexual orientation from a United Nations resolution on extrajudicial killings. In doing so, South Africa has voted in the company of states which carry the death penalty for consensual sexual acts between adults of the same sex: Iran, Nigeria, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
Other states which voted for the removal of reference to sexual orientation from the resolution include: Uganda, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Syria, Belize, Libya, Tanzania, Comoros, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Morocco, Burundi, Eritrea, Angola, Kenya, Cameroon, Algeria, Tunisia, Kuwait, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Guyana, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Malaysia. In all of these states, homosexual acts are illegal, and punishments vary from public floggings to hefty, and in some case life, sentences.
It is very disappointing for South Africa to be among the 79 states which voted to have the amendment to this resolution passed. The explanation for this vote offered by South Africa's UN representative - that the international law is "insufficiently clear on the definition of sexual orientation", according to the official UN minutes - is patently ridiculous.