[Mikitivity]

The Sex Education Act
A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.

Category: Human Rights
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Love and esterel

Description:
The United Nations,

DEEPLY DISTURBED that in many Nations:
-A- Sexual education is lacking
-B- Education about female sexuality is often unheard of and no mention is made of the clitoris, the statistically most erogenous zone for women, which is not directly correlated with reproduction
-C- Lack of quality sex education can lead, many times, to unplanned teen pregnancies and unnecessary abortion

OBSERVING that:
-D- Sex has two important functions: reproduction and pleasure
-E- Sexual activity is a common activity, contributing to the happiness of many people, worldwide

URGES:
-1- All Nations to organize and secure some sexual education courses for all, before the age of 18-years; and
-2- All Nations to include in these courses, information about male sexuality, female sexuality, opposite-sex relationships, same-sex relationships, masturbation, birth control methods, abortion right, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases without any value judgment

Votes For: 2,180
Votes Against: 857
Voting Ends: Tue Aug 23 2005

[Malabra]

The Parliament of Malabra has voted in favor of this resolution.

[Antrium]

Antrium also voted for.

[Lawtonia]

The Free Land of Lawtonia has voted in favour of this proposal the Poll

[Baranxtu]

The Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu wholeheartedly supports this resolution; the parliament has voted in favor.

[Adam Island]

Here's what I posted in the NS forums:

I'm against it. First of all, this is really one of those local issues, not international. It also neglects the fact that although most of us have human citizens, many nations are extra-terrestial planets and even many on earth have strange creatures. The resolution assumes that all UN members have the same biology. The clause "without any value judgement" is especially problematic when we realize the diverse types of nations in the NSUN. I don't want to drive out members we could help with other resolutions.

And, of course, the resolution never mandates anything, it just 'urges.' So its worthless at best.

[Grosseschnauzer]

The more I think about it, the more I realize that this particular resolution is poorly concieved and poorly plannrd strategically.
As others have noted, there is a wide diversity of cultural and religious mores that get involved especially in nations that have a single ethnic, religious or cultural herititage. In such nations, one is going to find a single viewpoint on this topic which may or may not accept the mandate willingly that this proposal offers.
Had, however, this proposal been cast in a different light, such as HIV/AIDS or STD prevention.....which would have required the same subject matter in order to educate to avoid behaviors at risk for transmission of such disases apart from religious, cultural, or other viewpoints on sexual behavior, then this would have been a much more sustainable and viable proposal.
Why is it necessary for the UN to get into decisions that in many places are the decisions of local school boards, or even families? That is the weakness for the proposal The other weakness is the presumptions it makes about what sort of education does takes place, and the whole proposal becomes unsustainable.
I will be voting AGAInST the proposal for these reasons.

[Yuunli]

I agree with Adam Island, and I would like to comment on a few points:

Quote: DEEPLY DISTURBED that in many Nations lack of quality sex education can lead, many times, to unplanned teen pregnancies and unnecessary abortion [/quote]
This resolution does not enforce quality sex education. It just urges members to give "information" about various sex topics.

Quote: OBSERVING that sex has two important functions: reproduction and pleasure[/quote]
Just because something brings pleasure is not a reason to teach it all over the world.

Quote: OBSERVING that sexual activity is a common activity, contributing to the happiness of many people, worldwide [/quote]
So what?

Quote: URGES all Nations to organize and secure some sexual education courses for all, before the age of 18-years[/quote]
Why 18? Many nations have a different age of consent. And human sexual organs are usually ready well before that age...

Quote: URGES all Nations to include in these courses, information about male sexuality, female sexuality, opposite-sex relationships, same-sex relationships, masturbation, birth control methods, abortion right, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases without any value judgment[/quote]
As I wrote earlier, I don't think "including information" makes students actually conscious of the possibilities and dangers regarding sexual intercourse.

Yuunli votes against this resolution, waiting for a better one.

[Mikitivity]

YuunliAug 19 2005, 11:42 PM Quote: DEEPLY DISTURBED that in many Nations lack of quality sex education can lead, many times, to unplanned teen pregnancies and unnecessary abortion [/quote]
This resolution does not enforce quality sex education. It just urges members to give "information" about various sex topics.

[/quote]
My government is considering voting in favour, and while we agree that the resolution doesn't specifically say "quality" education, the preamble made it clear to us that the sex education needed to be non-judgemental, which seems to imply that it should be a quality program.

It also included a list of possible options / educational elements:
"information about male sexuality, female sexuality, opposite-sex relationships, same-sex relationships, masturbation, birth control methods, abortion right, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases without any value judgment"

At this point we are still undecided, but another reason we are considering voting in favour is that we do feel that sex education might help with population control as well as to a much lesser degree encourage gender equality. The reason we say this, is the programs seem to debunk some myths about the genders, but focusing on what makes men and women similar and what makes them different.

We certainly do agree that this is a human rights issue. However, all that said, the age of 18 require actually seems a bit late for many societies. The fact that a specific age is mentioned does seem a bit problematic ... as some societies might want to begin this programs earlier, others later.

We regrett that we did not catch this clause easlier, as we feel a more appropriate measure might have been "prior to a time when the local popluations typically become sexually active".

[Groot Gouda]

As I said on the UN forum:

Quote: I find this a patronizing resolution. Although I value sexual education and the Groot Gouda education system provides in most what this resolution asks, why force the contents of lessons through a UN resolution? What should the UN have to do with this? Lack of sex education is a national problem. My nation does not suffer from other nations not giving any sex education.

This resolution is way too detailed, in my opinion, which doesn't take into account the varied nature of NationStates cultures accros the planets.

I shall vote Against.[/quote]

BTW, mikitivity, if you post a poll make it "Single choice (1)". That's about the amount of votes someone can cast, not the number of options (I was confused in the beginning as well). As we can't vote both for and against, it's single choice.

[Mikitivity]

Groot GoudaAug 20 2005, 01:43 AM As I said on the UN forum:

Quote: I find this a patronizing resolution. Although I value sexual education and the Groot Gouda education system provides in most what this resolution asks, why force the contents of lessons through a UN resolution? What should the UN have to do with this? Lack of sex education is a national problem. My nation does not suffer from other nations not giving any sex education.

This resolution is way too detailed, in my opinion, which doesn't take into account the varied nature of NationStates cultures accros the planets.

I shall vote Against.[/quote]

BTW, mikitivity, if you post a poll make it "Single choice (1)". That's about the amount of votes someone can cast, not the number of options (I was confused in the beginning as well). As we can't vote both for and against, it's single choice. [/quote]


Whooops, did not know that about the polls. I had assumed it was the number of options.

[Keeslandia]

While we agree this is far from an artfully crafted resolution, we favor the overall sentiment and that it is not binding. Therefore, the Empire has voted "aye."

[Lloegr-Cymru]

I wish to reiterate my statement to the UN:

Quote: After meeting with Cabinet, I am directing our UN Ambassador to register a profound reservation regarding this resolution. Before I go into too great a depth, let me first praise the Foreign Secretary for keeping all of Cabinet apprised of the developments on this resolution. Now then, Cabinet and I are concerned that a rather weak resolution is being used as a "With us or Against us" proposition. I seem to recall seeing one nation express that very notion. That really, in our opinion, is one of the poorest uses of a resolution. We could easily have a resolution that is entitled "END RACISM" and the text says "RESOLVED: The UN mandates that racism be ended by terminating the human population of the World." Now, do we really want to vote yes on such a resolution simply to show we are opposed to racism?

While the Holy and Serene Republic of Lloegr-Cymru believes most vehemently in sex education, this resolution may not be the best means of promoting its spread to all countries. The nation applauds the principle sponsor(s) for trying to tackle this thorny issue, but it would be far better, in our view, to submit a better written, more comprehensive, and less political resolution for the consideration of this body. In this way, we can all confidently support it and not have to worry about voting for the resolution simply to show our support for the idea.[/quote]

Our point is simple: you can support the idea of quality sex education while not supporting this particular attempt at addressing the issue.

In fact, should this resolution pass, I'd like to author a repeal and replacement resolution to replace it with a better version.

[Mikitivity]

Wow, it looked as though my government had a chance to be the deciding factor on this resolution ... having read the arguments, we've found merit in both positions, and therefore have abstained. Given that the resolution has a significant majority, the IDUs vote will not change the outcome of this resolution ... and thus my government calls upon the delegate from Sober Thought to vote according to his own wishes given this is a tie vote.

[Sober Thought]

And abstention was my approach. I will also approve the repeal motions now being selected as proposals for two reasons:

* the lukewarm support of the YES voters who would have preferred a better worded and more comprehensive proposal should have a chance to get what they want (I still think it is better to draft such a good proposal first so you can campaign for repeal later, but that's just me).

* the emphatic support of the NO voters (most of whom said they had much better sex ed programs in their own countries) who are opposed to an unjustified encroachment of national sovereignty.