Från UN Watch:
GENEVA, Feb. 13 – Gays threaten the continuation of the human race, Libya’s delegate told a planning meeting of the UN Human Rights Council today, reported the Geneva-based UN Watch monitoring group. It was the first appearance in the 47-nation body by the post-Gaddafi government, whose membership was restored in November following Libya’s suspension in March.
Protesting the council’s first panel discussion on discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, scheduled for March 7th, Libya’s representative told the gathering of ambassadors today that LGBT topics “affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race.” He added that, were it not for their suspension, Libya would have opposed the council’s June 2011 resolution on the topic.
In response, council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre said that “the Human Rights Council is here to defend human rights and prevent discrimination.”
Mer om bakgrunden till att Libyen kommit in i rådet igen, med kommentarer från UN Watchs Hillel Neuer:
In November, when the UN General Assembly reinstated Libya on the council, deputy UN envoy Ibrahim Dabbashi said
“the new Libya deserves to return to the Human Rights Council to
contribute with other members to the promotion of values of human
rights.”
“No violations of human rights will take place on Libyan territory
in the future and if it happens the perpetrator will never get away
with it,” he vowed.
Despite the pledges, however, Neuer said “the restoration of the new Libyan regime to the council, supported by 123 states
including all of the Western democracies, was carried out precipitously
and without any record of its commitment to human rights domestically
and abroad. The new rulers’ pledges are being broken.”
“Gays are now paying the price, with their right to be free from violent
attacks now being undermined at the UN by a country that democratic
countries fought to liberate, and by a goverment that our leaders
helped install. It’s all very disconcerting.”