During the lobbying session, the Delegation from Iran raised an amendment regarding OC number 10 which was then questioned by the USA. Germany highlited, that because only 10% of the population identify as LGBTQ+, this community counts as a minority . In the following, China asked who promoted the amendment. Iran emphasized the importance of family values, insisting that every country should adhere to them. The representative of China then argued, that their state is against homosexuality, and therefore was questioning the relevance of the discussion. Germany challenged the concept of a „real family“, suggesting that LGBTQ+ individuals as families, arguing that adoption by LGBTQ+ people isn’t normal since they often cannot have children. Russia advocated for the acceptance of countries that do not align with western traditions, emphasizing national sovereignty, cultural diversity, and unique moral and ethical frameworks. The Delegate of Iran questioned China’s perspective, and China highlited the diversity of beliefs in their country to the presence of more than five religions, questioning how to understand everyone’s beliefs. After that, Germany pointed out that times are changing and the definition of family is evolving, stressing that every individual needs safety. The voting procedure, regarding OC number 10 resulted in 6 in favor and 8 against. Russia’s Amendment, also regarding OC number 10 saw China questioning the UN’s acceptance of it, while Russia argued that Western views influence them to change their traditions. Germany posed a similar question to China. In response to the question of the Delegate of the US, Russia supported increased media control by introducing regulations to control media content and working with psychologists and specialists to improve LGBTQ+ representation. Human Rights Watch countered that the whole matter is not just a trivial issue. China stated that seeing LGBTQ+ people in movies normalizes homosexuality, conflicting with their traditions. Saudi Arabia argued that children are easily influenced, emphasizing that homosexuality is forbidden in their Muslim-majority country and viewing it as a human right to oppose LGBTQ+.
October 20th 2024
— HRC