NEW YORK, October 8, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The United Nations instituted its same-sex benefit package last Friday. Partners of employees in same-sex arrangements are now eligible for pension and health benefits if their country of origin also recognizes their cohabitation as either a civil union or a “marriage.”
A number of Islamic and African nations spoke vehemently against the measure noting that their nations objected to funding such measures. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, a 57-country-strong lobby, said it was “seriously concerned about extending the scope of the family,” according to an AP report.
“A legally recognized domestic partnership contracted by a staff member under the law of the country of his or her nationality will also qualify that staff member to receive the entitlements provided for eligible family members,” the new UN directive states.
During debate over same-sex benefits in March, Sandra Haji-Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of United Nations Human Resources Management, argued in defence of same-sex benefits, comparing it to polygamous marriages, where benefits are granted to all spouses. She told Committee members, “Polygamous marriages are not questioned by the Organization when they were valid under the national laws of Member States. The Organization makes no value judgement on that type of marriage—it accepted it as a fact.” She explained that UN staff who were polygamous could have all their spouses receive benefits. Read related LifeSiteNews.com reports: Homosexual Activism Pits Third World and Vatican against UN Secretariat, Canada and EU https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/mar/04031603.html UN: Don’t Worry About our Support for Gay ‘Marriage’; We Support Polygamy Too https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/mar/04032301.html tv