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UNHumanRightsCouncil-PaneldiscussionsexualorientationandGenderIdentity-7March2012

Mauritania(onbehalfoftheArabGroup)

Thankyou,MadamePresident.

TheArabGroupwouldliketoputonrecorditsabsoluteoppositiontotheso-calledconceptofsexual

orientation. It confirms its resolute rejection to the forceful imposition of this issue within the

humanrightsframework.Onthisbasis,andasmatterofprinciple,itrefusesthedebateonthisissue

asthatleadstofurtherdiscordinsteadoftryingto findcommongroundforadialoguethatwould

facilitatetheimplementationofthemandateoftheCouncilanditsgoverningbodies.

Indeed,thisunderminestheeffectiveresponseoftheCounciltohumanrightsissueswhichisitscore

mandate.ThemandateoftheCouncildoesnotincludethediscussionofpersonallikesanddislikes

ofindividuals.MadamePresident,theArabGroupwouldliketorecallthatthisconcept,promoted

byagroupofstates,istotallyextraneoustothehumanrightssystem.Itisnotmentionedinanyshapeorforminanytextofinternationalhumanrightstreatiesorinstruments.Thereforeitcannot

beregardedasahumanrightsstandard.

TherealizationoftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,particularlyinArticle29,dealingwith

thedutiesof individualstowards society, means abidingby therulesthatgovernthepracticesof

individualsinenjoyingtheirrightsandfreedomswithoutaffectingtherightsandfreedomsofothers,

andthenecessityofpreservingpublicmoralityandorder,andthegeneralinterestofthecommunity

withindemocraticsocieties.

TheArabGroupconsidersthatattemptstoimposethiscontroversialconceptareindeedattemptsto

createnewandunrecognizedrights.Thisisalsoaviolationoftherightsofpeoplesandcommunities

topracticeandenjoytheirsocial andcultural rights. Asmallcategoryofstatestriestoimposeits

ownsystemofvaluesonotherstatesandcommunitieswithouttakingintoconsiderationtheirown

culturalandreligiousspecificationsandculturalpluralism.

Thiswayofdealingwiththisissueisa violentchallenge totheprinciplesof culturalpluralismand

dialogueandabreachoftherightsofstatesandcommunitiestotheirownwell-establishedsystem

ofvalues. Ontheotherhand, theArabGroup considers that promoting theso-calledconcept of

sexualorientationhasverynegativeeffectsonsocialstructures,startingwiththenucleus,whichis

thefamily, thenaturalandbasicunitofeverysociety andwhichall statesandcommunitieshave

pledgedtoprotect.Thisisonthebasisofourobligationinarticle16oftheUniversalDeclarationto

protectthisbasicunitoflifethroughtherealizationoftherightsofthechild,andgivingchildrena

healthyandbalancedatmospherefortheirpsychologicaldevelopment.

As theworld faces numerousurgenthuman rightschallenges,the Arab Group wonders why it is

deemedappropriate togivepriority tothisdebateon theso-called conceptof sexualorientation,

regardlessofitslegalcontentandthelackofdefinitionforthisconcept,insteadofdealingwiththe

realprioritiesathand.Somestatespromotethiscontroversialconceptonlytodivertattentionfrom

thevarious forms ofdiscriminationandviolence based on race andreligion,particularlyaffecting

migrantsandMuslimsinwesterncountries.

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Finally, the Arab Group once again reiterates its absolute rejection, in content and form,of the

imposition of this concept within the international human rights system. It opposes positive

discriminationforasinglecategoryofpeopleasthatisnotinlinewiththeuniversalityofhuman

rightsorequality. We should not forget theprinciples enshrined in theUniversal Declaration of

HumanRightswherewerecognizethatdignityisinherentinallpeople,andthatpromotesequality

forall.Wehopethatthisstatementwillbefullyreflectedintherecordsofthismeeting.

Thankyou.