by Rex Wockner
International News
The Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals achieved consultative status at the United Nations' Economic and Social Council on July 27.
The status allows nongovernmental organizations to access UN meetings, deliver oral and written reports, contact country representatives and organize events.
Achieving the status always has been a lengthy, uphill battle for GLBT groups, but organizations eventually have prevailed in recent years from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Some 3,000 nongovernmental organizations have consultative status.
The Brazilian group's acceptance was supported by Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela.
It was opposed by Algeria, Belarus, Cameroon, China, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
Seventeen nations abstained from voting or were not present: Barbados, Cape Verde, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, India, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Mauritius, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Somalia.
