Fridae

A group of Islamic nations sought unsuccessfully to block a US-based gay rights group from participating on a UN AIDS conference panel next week, according to a Reuters report.

The conference attended by 26 heads of state or government among the 180 delegations and some 3000 activists and victims is the first high-level special General Assembly session on AIDS.

The aim of the 3-day conference is to map out a blueprint to fight AIDS. One section of the declaration refers to homosexuals, prostitutes and intravenous drug users as especially vulnerable groups in getting and spreading the AIDS virus.

According to a UNAIDS representative, certain governments have objected to the presence of Karyn Kaplan, a staff member at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), at the official Human Rights Round Table at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS.

The IGLHRC was the only gay and lesbian civil society organization invited to speak at the Round Table.

"Barring a gay human rights group from a UN gathering on AIDS and human rights is a travesty of the whole purpose of these meetings. 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 the stigma that allows AIDS to spread." Kaplan said in a press statement.

The IGLHRC reports that delegations of Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco objected to having the voices of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people heard. China and Russia were among the nations that supported the Islamic states.

On Monday, a motion was sponsored by Argentina, Canada, Norway, and the European Union among others, objecting to the ban. After a heated debate the General Assembly decided in favor of the motion by a vote of 62 in favor, 0 against, and 30 abstentions. A number of delegations refrained from voting altogether, hoping to avoid a quorum, yet the vote was ruled valid.

IGLHRC will hold a press conference June 26 at 2 pm EST in the second floor conference room of the Church Center (777 UN Plaza, corner of 44th St and 1st Ave), to discuss IGLHRC's exclusion and reinstatement, the restrictions on civil society participation, and the campaign against human rights at the UNGASS.

The UNGASS proceedings are being webcast live at http://66.40.119.133/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=253. The same address contains an archived webcast of previous plenary sessions.