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US fails at UN to weaken measure on sexual harassment

By AFP
November 21, 2018

UNITED NATIONS: The United States failed on Monday to water down a UN resolution on combatting sexual harassment and violence against women despite backing from Russia, China, India, several Muslim countries and the Vatican.

President Donald Trump’s administration sought to scrap language in the non-binding resolution on access to reproductive health care services, safe abortions and recognizing the right of women to decide on matters related to their sexuality.

France and the Netherlands led negotiations on the draft which this year for the first time included language on combating sexual harassment, in response to the #MeToo movement. Two amendments to the text presented by the United States were rejected in votes at a General Assembly committee. Israel, which usually backs the US position at the United Nations, voted against the US proposals, as did European countries.

"Make no mistake, these amendments are hostile," French Ambassador Francois Delattre told the assembly, arguing that language contained in the draft was taken from agreed texts such as the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights and should not be contentious. The resolution was adopted by consensus by the committee, but the United States then took the floor to say that it was disassociating itself from the vote.