Today the General Assembly of the United Nations is set to confirm Ugandan Foreign minister Sam Kutesa as president of the UN Assembly.
Hannes Swoboda, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament said:
"The Ugandan government has imposed harsh, homophobic laws on its people, with no regard for equality or human rights.
"To place a high-level representative of an openly homophobic government in such an important, globally visible position is a disgrace.
"The UN finds itself at a crossroads where the update of the Millennium Development Goals and the overall challenges of its work demand a clear rights-based approach.
A homophobic president of the UN Assembly would jeopardise the credibility of the institution and its mission.
"I call on all EU representatives to publicly oppose the vote by acclamation today, and to do everything in their power to ensure the UN leadership is compatible with its mission and mandate, and fully respects human rights."
