Combating Defamation of Religions: Vote Trend

The optimists will say that the  General Assembly vote trend on Defamation of Religions  resolutions  favors freedom.  I am not so optimistic. Only eight votes swung in our favor between ’08 & ’09 and the abstention trend was flat.  The slope of the yes vote line  seems flatter  this year compared to the previous decline. The quantitative growth has been in abstentions, not negations.  Abstentions  have no effect on the outcome.  Unfortunately, a plurality still supports the resolutions, voting against  freedom of religion and expression.

2005    101    53    20
2006    111    54    18    Wikipedia
2007    108    51    25
2008    86      53    42
2009    80      61    42*    ACLJ * ACLJ shows 42 abstentions, the UN tally shows 43.

Yes votes

No votes

Abstentions

If the current trend holds, the resolution could be defeated in ’11. but I do not expect that to happen. I expect that, if the vote grows closer. many member states will jump from  abstention to the yes column. If they wanted the resolution to fail, they would vote no instead of abstaining.