UN Conditionally Recognizes Gay Marriages

voanews.com ^ | 29 Jan 2004, 21:48 UTC | Peter Heinlein

[Destro]

UN Conditionally Recognizes Gay Marriages

Peter Heinlein

United Nations

29 Jan 2004, 21:48 UTC

AP

The United Nations has decided to recognize same sex marriages involving staff members if the union is valid in the employees' home country. The decision will entitle gay partners of some but not all employees to the same rights as other U.N. spouses.

Secretary General Kofi Annan has ruled that marriages recognized under the law of a U.N. employee's home country will qualify that employee for all benefits provided to eligible family members. In a bulletin issued Thursday, Mr. Annan ordered the new policy effective February 1.

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe says the ruling is consistent with a long-standing U.N. policy of taking into consideration a staff member's nationality when determining that employee's family status.

"There's been a growing trend over the past few years in several member-states toward recognition of same sex marriages or recognition of domestic partnerships that may involve partners of the same or different sex," she said. "The bulletin acknowledges this trend and simply extends to these new situations the existing practice of accepting as a fact the family status of U.N. staff members as determined by the laws of the country of their nationality."

Ms. Okabe said she does not know how many employees might be affected by the ruling. She said authorities are waiting to see how many applications come in. She said the list of countries recognizing same sex marriages is, in her words, not very long.

Gay couples from countries that do not recognize same sex unions would not be affected by the secretary-general's ruling

Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium permit same sex unions. Most western European countries, along with Australia and New Zealand, also provide some rights to couples, regardless of sexual orientation.

In the United States, laws governing marriage are the jurisdiction of the states, and one state - Vermont - recognizes same sex civil unions. Officials at the U.S. mission to the United Nations had no immediate comment on how the ruling would affect U.S. citizens employed by the world body.

U.N. officials estimate nearly 2,000 U.S. citizens work for the U.N. secretariat, most of them in New York. Thousands more work for U.N. agencies and subdivisions worldwide.

[Destro]

The title is a little misleading.

[Terpfen]

Just exactly what authority does the UN have to dictate civil law to its member countries?

Screw this organization. I wouldn't care about a trillion dollar Medicare spending increase if the tradeoff was kicking the UN out of the country.

[Angelus Errare]

If this is in fact the case, does this mean that the UN is going to start paying out polygamy benefits as well?

More countries have legalized polygamy than have legalized gay marriage.

[Destro]

Just exactly what authority does the UN have to dictate civil law to its member countries?

None-nor is it doing so here-which is why I think the title is misleading. The UN will recognize homo-marriage if the member nation does but won't recognize it if it doesn't.

[lady lawyer]

It's just their own employees.

[Destro]

They may already do such a thing.

[Sacajaweau]

The problem is that the individual country recognizing the marriage isn't paying the tab...we're picking up 25% of the cost since we pay pay 25% of the UN dues. The "sexual predator" county should be charged.

[Levante]

"Just exactly what authority does the UN have to dictate civil law to its member countries?"

The authority that weak-kneed, dumbass countries give the UN.

[sugawara]

Here is the answer to your question:

"A bloc of more than 50 Islamic states, backed by the Vatican, sought Monday to halt U.N. efforts to extend spousal benefits to partners of some gay employees. [...]

The United Nations has already recognized polygamy, a common practice in the Islamic world, as a legitimate form of marriage and permits employees to divide their benefits among more than one wife. But the decision to expand that right to same-sex partners has fueled intense opposition."

Rather ironic that opposition to benefits for same-sex partners is being lead by the countries that allow polygamy.