In July, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing fifty-seven countries, courageously led the way in opposing the renewal of the United Nations (UN) controversial “LGBT rights” mandate during the 50th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC).
Family Watch would like to invite you to show your gratitude and thank them for their courage and leadership by signing on to a letter here.
Officially known as the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), the SOGI mandate holder has spent the past three years reinterpreting international human rights law to include such “LGBT rights.”
Such actions have taken the form of requiring countries to implement harmful Comprehensive Sexuality Education, pushing transgender ideology in laws and policies, and imposing on countries his radical understanding of “sexual and reproductive health and rights” (SRHR).
To refresh your memory on the dangerous mandate and egregious reports made by the SOGI independent expert, see our website here and our recent petition calling for Member States to oppose renewal here.
The 2016 resolution (HRC 32/2) establishing the SOGI Independent Expert mandate did not receive overwhelming support and was adopted by a narrow vote of 23 to 18 with 6 abstentions. The 2019 renewal was shocking with a vote of 27 in favor, 12 against and 7 abstentions.
The SOGI mandate was (regrettably) renewed this year by a narrow vote of 23 to 17 with 7 abstentions.
Here are the countries who stood up and voted AGAINST the renewal of the mandate:
Cameroon, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Indonesia, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
Even though the mandate of the SOGI independent expert was renewed, we are greatly encouraged by the progress we have seen in the growing opposition, and we consider this a great victory!
Thanks to the OIC and likeminded countries listed above, the tide is turning in Geneva and around the world with the recognition that it is the sovereign right of nations to determine their own religious and cultural values.
Please join us in celebrating this most recent victory by sharing the good news with your friends and family and congratulating these courageous countries for opposing the mandate. We especially want to show appreciation to the OIC for their strong leadership and invite you to thank the OIC by signing here.
Family Watch International will hand deliver the thank you letter to the OIC leadership as a token of our appreciation. Don’t miss out on your chance to personally express your gratitude to the OIC for their unwavering strength and partnership in defending the family at the United Nations.
