UN Adopts Resolution to Protect Family

The United Nations has adopted a resolution to protect the family, but as it drafts the resolution's goals, a petition has been created to ensure they include provisions to protect the family.

The U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted a resolution on June 26 recognizing the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state, according to the family rights group CitizenGO.

The actual resolution was voted on and passed by a majority vote of the 47 Human Rights Council members, with 26 in favor, 14 against, and six abstentions.  

Opponents of the family-oriented resolution claimed single-parent or extended families would come under attack or be ignored by governments. They argued the resolution could cause more marital rape or would cause individual family members to somehow lose their human rights if their families are protected.

Supporters, however, insist the family must be defended as a principal good of society and the resolution is needed to counteract grave contemporary threats to the family.

The countries which voted in the resolution’s favor included Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

The "Include the Family" petition aims at urging U.N. member states to recognize the importance of the family in the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG). While the petition has already received more than 70,000 signatures, it would still need 100,000 more to potentially influence the SDGs, which the U.N. is currently drafting. (D.C.L.)

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On the NET:

To sign the petition, go to: http://acem.citizengo.org/lt.php?c=173&m=198&nl=5&s=14edb43cae8ae269de0e93ded1afdcdf&lid=2788&l=-http--www.citizengo.org/en/7665-un-include-family-campaign