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THE DOHA DECLARATION - A VERY BIG PRO-FAMILY
WIN AT THE UN
The year 2004 was the tenth anniversary of
the UN's International Year of the Family. The purpose of
this special year was to integrate a family perspective in
all government policies worldwide, so as to assist families
in the many challenges facing them.
The key question, however, was to determine
how the family should be defined. Predictably, Canada, Ireland,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland - in fact,
14 western nations - wanted to integrate the homosexual lifestyle
i.e. same-sex relationships, into the definition of family
by referring to family in "its various forms." Thankfully,
they were out-maneuvered.
To head off this disaster, pro-family organizations,
world-wide, organized a series of pro-family, international
conferences to be held throughout the year on different continents
in order to build up a body of research, papers, and resolutions,
in support of the pro-family position. These conferences began
in March with the World Congress of Families III, held in
Mexico City, which over 3,000 individuals attended. REAL Women
served as part of the Planning Committee for this Congress,
and also served on the Declaration Committee, which drafted
the official statement for the Congress. A European pro-family
conference was next held in August in Geneva, Switzerland
and at this conference many significant research papers on
the family were presented including REAL Women's paper entitled,
"Same-sex Parenting is Harmful to Children." Another
pro-family Conference was held in July, this time on the African
continent, in the country of Benin. In October, a conference
was held in Asia, in Kuala Lumpur, organized with the assistance
of the Malaysian Government. The final pro-family conference
in 2004 was organized by the Sheik of Qatar and was held on
November 29th and 30th in Doha, the capital of Qatar. This
final conference was attended by scholars, government leaders,
UN delegates, dignitaries, pro-family organizations and concerned
citizens from around the world. This conference finalized
and incorporated the proceedings of the previous world-wide
conferences into a final statement called the Doha Declaration,
which set out the important role of the traditional family
and made recommendations for its promotion and protection.
Importantly, the Declaration also included specific recommendations
for the UN in order to safeguard the family and traditional
marriage. For example, among its significant recommendations
was the definition of traditional marriage as being a union
between a man and a woman only. The Declaration also urged
governments, international organizations, and members of civil
society to "take effective measures to strengthen the
stability of marriage by, among other things, encouraging
the full and equal partnership of husband and wife within
a committed and enduring marital relationship."
The Doha Resolution on the Family was introduced
in early December in the UN General Assembly in New York by
the UN representative from Qatar who also spoke on behalf
of the developing world countries (known at the UN as the
Group of 77 and China). This declaration served as a red flag
to the 14 dissenting countries, including Canada (which is
ever ready to argue for an anti-family position at all times),
who were insistent that "family" should include
homosexual partners.
The dissenters however, failed dismally to
crush the Doha Declaration resolution. On December 6, 2004
the UN General Assembly "recognized and accepted"
the Doha Declaration by a consensus of 149 nations. As a result,
the Declaration is now a part of the canons of documents,
which comprise international law. It was "one of the
most significant developments at the UN in two generations"
according to Charlie Colchester, International Director of
CARE, a Christian NGO in the United Kingdom concerned with
social caring and educational programs for the needy.
The acceptance by the UN of the Doha Declaration
was a major accomplishment and an important new beginning
for the family in international law, which may profoundly
change the course of international law relating to parents
and children, human life and dignity, and marriage.
According to the UN representative from Qatar,
the acceptance of the Declaration was a miracle! He was right.
A sour note however was heard from the 14
dissenting countries, which publicly disassociated themselves
from the consensus on the Doha Declaration. Among the dissenters,
of course, was Canada. Canada's representative, Hugh Adsett,
stated in his speech, that Canada was "disappointed"
that the sponsors of the resolution were not receptive to
including in their statement recognition of "different
forms of family" i.e. homosexual relationships. Who says?
Maybe the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, but not
the Canadian public!
Please write to the following expressing your
disappointment in the Liberal Government for failing to support
the Doha Declaration. Shame on Canada, which is so out of
touch with the rest of the world.
Please write to:
The Right Hon. Paul Martin, PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada
Langevin Building
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Tel: (613) 992-4211
Fax: (613) 941-6900
E-mail: Martin.P@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Pierre S. Pettigrew, PC, MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lester B Pearson Bldg
Tower "A", 10th Floor 125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Tel: (613) 995-1851
Fax: (613) 996-3443
E-mail: Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca
Your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
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