Bay Windows - World News, July 5, 2001
Beth Berlo, Bay Windows Staff

As a result, the 189-member General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS by consensus at the end of a special session -- the first ever for a health issue.

After initially banning a representative from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) from participating in a discussion on HIV and AIDS, the assembly, after much discord, reversed its decision and allowed Karyn Kaplan, IGLHRC's HIV program officer, to speak.

Kaplan's earlier exclusion was the result of objections by the delegations of Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Muslim states were reportedly in an uproar and threatened a walkout over allowing a non-governmental group with the name "gay" and "lesbian" in its title participate. The Muslin countries find the words offensive, Levy said.

On June 25, a motion was sponsored by Canada, Argentina, Norway among others, objecting to the ban. After a contentious debate, the General Assembly voted 62 to 0 in favor of the motion. But 30 countries, including Nigeria, abstained from voting at all, presumably to avoid quorum.

"It took the General Assembly a couple of hours to decide if a gay organization could speak for three minutes," Sydney Levy protested. Levy, communications director for IGLHRC, said he worries that this is the same General Assembly that needs to come up with solutions to the HIV/AIDS crisis. "It's worrisome to think that they are so shy or afraid to deal with issues of homosexuality and human rights," he said.

Assembly President Harri Holkeri of Finland had included Kaplan at a round table discussion. In a Reuters report, South Africa's U.N. ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo, had said he voted in favor of the motion unapologetically: "As a victim of past discrimination in our country, we are very sensitive when people are being discriminated against. But this is not about discrimination. This is about people who are dying from HIV/AIDS."

Delegates to the U.N. Conference are reportedly at a standstill on language in the conference's plan of action in referring to gays.

There is a large degree of confusion, fear and panic on how to map a blueprint to tackle the AIDS crisis, observers say. And while the world has means to fight the two-decade-old disease, the lack of will continues to result in devastating infection and death rates.

Of the 25 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in Africa, for instance, only 25,000 are being treated. And while the level of philanthropy in this country is high, it doesn't make a dent in stopping the epidemic globally.

According to IGLHRC, objections against them participating mirror developments related to the drafting process of the final declaration of the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, where a slew of delegations have been attempting to delete mention of men having sex with men, sex workers and IV drug users.

"The survival of my own nation, and of many others facing the same fate, hand in the balance," one report quoted King Mswati III of Swaziland saying. Swaziland is a country where 25 percent of people aged 15-49 are infected.

Larry Kessler, executive director of the AIDS Action Committee in Boston, called the U.N.'s behavior, "extremely discouraging," while conceding, " not surprising." At the same time, he said, "I don't know how many deaths it takes before people say it's a public health issue. We need to stand aside and not let some of these cultural biases stand in the way of controlling this epidemic."

The world body's attempt to ban Kaplan, IGLHRC says, "flies in the face of the U.N. AIDS report, which identified sexual minorities as `vulnerable populations' as high risk for contracting HIV/AIDS."

Meanwhile, the Vatican, which has observer status at the United Nations, issued a statement objecting to some aspects the plan including a stance against condom use. The Vatican also felt that there was inadequate discussion around "irresponsible behavior" that puts people at risk for HIV.

In a statement, Kaplan said: "We need real solutions for this epidemic, and that starts with talking about the people who need help. The countries that want to keep us out persecute gay people and help foster ... stigma that allows AIDS to spread."

"The important thing is that she spoke and she got her three minutes," Levy said. "What she said was that there is no way to solving the HIV and AIDS crisis if we do not take a rights-based approach."

"We have to look at this from a human-rights perspective," Levy said. "The government should be committed to protecting the rights of people with HIV and AIDS worldwide."
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