Clarification by the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, Ambassador Maria Leissner
February 10, 2014
In reference with the recent statement by the International Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies (ISC/CD) concerning the 2014 Nigerian Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies wishes to make the following clarification.
The ISC/CD is a global network of civil society leaders, functioning as the voice of civil society in the framework of the Community of Democracies.
The Community of Democracies is an intergovernmental coalition of states. In its Governing Council of 25 states, the nongovernmental body of the ISC/CD is invited to present its views and proposals, but has no voting rights.
Thus, a statement made by the ISC/CD is not an official position of the Community of Democracies. It represents the personal opinions of the network of the civil society leaders of the ISC/CD, and no other entity.
