The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for member states will contain no language that could be interpreted as shielding the rights of LGBTI people in order to placate developing nations

The sustainable development goals set for United Nations members to the year 2030 will not contain any reference to the rights of LGBTI people and will maintain the status quo on abortion, it has been revealed.

Several developed nations, including the United Kingdom and Brazil, had wanted to have language in the agreement which could have been interpreted to include protecting the rights of transgender persons and sexual minorities but these were stripped from the final text that member states will approve.

Brazilian Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota had reportedly pushed for the agreement to contain ‘more progressive language’ around human rights, including the rights of ‘LGBTI [people], whether or not these groups are fully stated.’

References to ‘gender’ in the document were also replaced with the more narrow term ‘sex’ to ensure there was no implied protections for transgender people or sexual minorities – and references to ‘social groupings’ as a protected category were also removed.

The document instead commits member nations to ‘empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status,’ by 2030 and to ‘ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action,’ without reference to sexuality.

Ambassador Usman Sarki of Nigeria reportedly lead the charge to have the agreement ‘cleaned’ of any language that might imply a commitment to the rights of LGBTI people.

The Agenda for Sustainable Development replaces the UN’s 15-year-old Millennium Development Goals.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed the agreement as ‘bold, ambitious and transformative sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years,’ while speaking at a press conference on Monday.

‘The outcome document is called “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and it is a road map to ending global poverty, building a life of dignity for all and … is also a clarion call to intensify efforts to heal our planet for the benefit of this and future generations.’

Source: www.gaystarnews.com
Picture: www.theguardian.com