Whenever there is a discussion on "family" at the UN, many countries – almost all with abysmal human rights protection records – use the occasion to undermine international standards on gender equality and women's rights, as well as the right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
As recently as June 2014 the UN top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, adopted a resolution "Protection of the Family" which aims at imposing a narrow, "traditional" definition of family (thereby excluding same-sex couples, single parents, and other forms of families) and subverting the protection of individual members of the family, including children and women, to the "rights" of the family as a whole. The resolution was supported by 26 Council members: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, UAE, Venezuela and Vietnam. Voting against were: Austria, Chile, Czech republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Republic of Korea, Romania, UK and USA.
The General Assembly meeting on the Family heard the following from countries which all persecute LGBT individuals, or criminalize or prescribe the death penalty for homosexuality:
- Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, said that "gender equality and empowerment" have "their roots in the home."
Kuwait said "the family" was the basis of "religion, society, and love of the country."
Russian Federation said the family is "a union between a man and a woman" and that "the traditional family lay at the heart of Russian society."
Qatar "stipulated the need to strengthen the links between family members" and said "the family was the major promoter of ... gender equality and respect for human rights."
Belarus complained about "challenges facing the family", including an attempt to "blur the moral points of reference" and "apply the 'absolute of homocentrism' to redefine the role of the family in society".
Egypt said that "family issues should be given due attention, in accordance with each country's family laws, traditions and religious background." He was also "disappointed with the attempts .... to introduce the notions of gender identity and sexual orientation ...Such notions were counter-productive and imposing them would create a negative precedent in the work of the United Nations."
Iran said that "in pursuing Iranian religious and cultural values ... his Government was committed to continued efforts to promote the institution of the family."
Indonesia said the family "empowered women to fulfill their role in development".