U.N. Gay Policy Is Assailed: Dozens of nations object to Annan's directive to offer benefits to staffers' same-sex partners.
The UN General Assembly has objected to a policy change that allows same-sex partners of U.N. staffers to receive benefits. Representatives from many Islamic and African nations and the Vatican, spoke out against Secretary-General Kofi Annan's directive to offer medical, pension and other benefits for same-sex partners. Some representatives argued that the General Assembly should decide what constitutes a family. Most U.N. regulations define marriage as a union between a man and a woman ? or between a man and up to four women for countries where polygamy is legal. The U.N.'s assistant secretary-general for human resources said after the vote that Annan would not change the substance of the policy, but would reissue the benefits plan after reviewing the assembly members' concerns.