Despite attempts by very few left-leaning liberals during the last United Nations General Assembly, majority of the countries reject gays and lesbians.
The politically-sensitive was further raised when President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe highlighted the need to respect and uphold human rights while rejecting LGBT rights.
Speaking during the 70th session of the U.N. General Assembly, he pointedly said: "We ... reject attempts to prescribe 'new rights' that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs."
"We are not gays," Mugabe continued.
The statement was met with some boisterous laughter and loud applause during the General Assembly session whose theme is the "United Nations at 70: The road ahead for peace, security, and human rights."
Mugabe’s rejection of rights for the LGBT community remains in line with the country’s policies.
In Zimbabwe, those found guilty of performing any homosexual acts can be imprisoned or fined. For instance, in 2006, the government made it a criminal offence for two people of the same sex to hold hands, hug, or kiss.
President Mugabe has been vocal about the country’s anti-LGBT stance, describing LGBTI individuals as "worse than pigs, goats and birds" during a rally on 23 July 2013.
The government of Saudi Arabia also rejected any references to homosexuality during the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the U.N. Sustainable Development Summit last 25-27 September.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told world leaders that "mentioning sex in the text, to us, means exactly male and female. Mentioning family means consisting of a married man and woman."
Similar reservations regarding LGBT rights were expressed by several member States during the creation of the SDGs.
For instance, in the report of the Open Working Group on SDGs, Cameroon rejected any policies or reporting for SDG 5.6, which "will include or tend to include, explicitly or implicitly, the concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity, same-sex couples."
Target 5.6 states the need to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, and to ensure reproductive rights.
As a result, Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning Amina Mohammed publicly declared last year that gay rights were "off the table" in the SDG agenda.
The SDGs currently make no mention of sexual orientation or rights for HIV-carriers.
The politically-sensitive was further raised when President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe highlighted the need to respect and uphold human rights while rejecting LGBT rights.
Speaking during the 70th session of the U.N. General Assembly, he pointedly said: "We ... reject attempts to prescribe 'new rights' that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs."
"We are not gays," Mugabe continued.
The statement was met with some boisterous laughter and loud applause during the General Assembly session whose theme is the "United Nations at 70: The road ahead for peace, security, and human rights."
Mugabe’s rejection of rights for the LGBT community remains in line with the country’s policies.
In Zimbabwe, those found guilty of performing any homosexual acts can be imprisoned or fined. For instance, in 2006, the government made it a criminal offence for two people of the same sex to hold hands, hug, or kiss.
President Mugabe has been vocal about the country’s anti-LGBT stance, describing LGBTI individuals as "worse than pigs, goats and birds" during a rally on 23 July 2013.
The government of Saudi Arabia also rejected any references to homosexuality during the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the U.N. Sustainable Development Summit last 25-27 September.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told world leaders that "mentioning sex in the text, to us, means exactly male and female. Mentioning family means consisting of a married man and woman."
Similar reservations regarding LGBT rights were expressed by several member States during the creation of the SDGs.
For instance, in the report of the Open Working Group on SDGs, Cameroon rejected any policies or reporting for SDG 5.6, which "will include or tend to include, explicitly or implicitly, the concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity, same-sex couples."
Target 5.6 states the need to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, and to ensure reproductive rights.
As a result, Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning Amina Mohammed publicly declared last year that gay rights were "off the table" in the SDG agenda.
The SDGs currently make no mention of sexual orientation or rights for HIV-carriers.