Sexual Left Loses Ground at UN Population Commission

By | April 29, 2022

NEW YORK, April 29 (C-Fam) International supporters of homosexuality and transgenderism lost ground in a UN agreement adopted today. The agreement left out even ambiguous language promoting sexual autonomy and diversity that was included in recent UN agreements.

Western diplomats took a rain check on an all-out battle to push homosexuality and transgenderism and other controversial social policies at the UN Commission on Population and Development. They gave up on adding new language to promote abortion, homosexuality, transgender issues, and sexual autonomy for children in the commission’s agreement early this week. They vowed to fight harder next year instead, disappointing sexual rights groups and affording traditional countries a respite from the culture wars.

The lack of drama at the adoption of the agreement is in sharp contrast to the usual practice of Western countries to draw out negotiations of the population commission until the last minute of the last day of the session to force an agreement on issues that aren’t widely accepted by traditional countries.

The commission, which meets annually to discuss population issues, is usually mired in controversial debates about sexuality, sovereignty, and parental rights. Negotiations during the commission often run late into the night and are so heated that the commission failed to reach an agreement in six of its past eight sessions.

There were no late-night negotiations on the last day to smooth out differences this year. Delegates concluded negotiations on the resolution early this week, as pressure to reach an agreement prevailed over delegations who aggressively promote gender ideology.

“CPD is back!” Jon Wilmoth exclaimed as the commission drew to a close this morning. The head of the UN Population Division and the top demographer in the world was elated that an agreement was adopted.

The resolution left out controversial proposals involving abortion, homosexuality, and transgender issues, as well as controversial proposals about children’s access to comprehensive sexuality education, contraception, and abortion. It even left out ambiguous buzzwords like “multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination” and “women in all their diversity.”

The resolution also included language recognizing the sovereign right of countries to implement UN agreements in line with their culture and religion, which Western countries usually oppose until the very last day of negotiations.

Delegates from the European Union and other Western countries were disappointed by what they called the agreement’s “lack of ambition” and “lack of progress” on homosexuality and transgender issues.

Delegations from traditional countries, including Gulf countries, Guatemala, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua, the Russian Federation, Yemen, and the Holy See lamented the West’s opposition to any mention of the family and that it was not included in the agreement. They also stressed that implementation of language related to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in the agreement should be in line with national laws, culture, and religion.

Some delegates said the commission merely opted to postpone the clash on sexual norms to next year when the commission is tasked with adopting an agreement on education.

Education is one of the most controversial topics at the commission. Several negotiations collapsed in recent years when western countries wanted to declare comprehensive sexuality education a human right. Comprehensive sexuality education includes teaching children to have sexual autonomy from their parents and that they can decide their gender and sexuality from an early age. Western nations insist that no country should be able to object to this kind of education on the basis of sovereignty, culture or religion.

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