EU blocks U.S. resolution to define gender as men and women at UN

The United States stood alone at the United Nations in early March after a European-led procedural move blocked a vote on defining sex in biological terms at one of the world’s leading forums on women’s rights.

The United States is the only country to challenge the agency’s annual “Agreed Conclusions,” citing concerns that the language differs from biological definitions of women and girls, the UN Commission on the Status of Women concluded. No other member state voted with the United States.

At the heart of the dispute is how the United Nations defines “gender.” According to EU officials, current UN frameworks, which date back to the 1995 Beijing Declaration, do not offer a fixed definition and instead rely on evolving interpretations tied to broader concepts of gender identity.

The US proposal sought to explicitly base the term on biological sex.

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The United States introduced a resolution titled “Protection of women and girls with appropriate terminology” aimed at clarifying how gender is understood in UN policy.

The draft states that the term “gender” should be interpreted “to refer to men and women in accordance with its generally accepted ordinary usage.”

The proposal never reached a vote. Belgium, speaking on behalf of the European Union, introduced a “motion of no action”, a procedural tool that blocks debate and prevents a proposal from being considered.

The motion was accepted and the US decision was stopped before it reached the floor.

This distinction has practical consequences. The UN language shapes global standards linked to development financing, humanitarian programs, education policy and anti-discrimination frameworks.

The move reflects a broader effort to end the debate at the UN, Department of Health and Human Services Director of Global Affairs Bethany Kozma told Fox News Digital.

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“While our red lines are ignored, the United States Government will not stand by and watch as malevolent forces impede the ability of nations to exercise their national sovereignty by abusing multilateral organizations to promote their own ideologies and social agendas,” Kozma said. he said. “We will always protect women and girls from dangerous gender ideology and affirm biological truth.”

He added that the decision to block the vote was due to political calculations.

“The EU blocked our resolution at the UN to define gender as male and female because they were afraid we would win and they would lose,” Kozma said. he said. “We will not stop doing what is right for women and girls. Even if we stand alone, as we did at the UN last week, we will always continue to protect women and girls from dangerous radical gender ideology and always affirm biological truth.”

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Delegates attend the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on February 24, 2026. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

A State Department official speaking on background described the move as part of a broader coordinated effort by European countries.

“These are procedural games that these countries are not prepared for,” the official said, referring to smaller delegations that may lack guidance on complex procedural votes.

That maneuver allowed rivals to block the vote even though the United States believed support was growing, the official said. These claims could not be independently verified.

The European Union rejected US criticism, saying the proposal was flawed and rushed.

“The draft resolution presented by the United States was factually incorrect,” Belgian foreign ministry spokesman David Jordens said, adding that it “misquotes and contradicts” the language adopted in the 1995 Beijing Declaration.

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United Nations Headquarters photographed in New York. (iStock)

“While the EU respects the prerogative of Member States to put forward new initiatives for consideration, CSW members should not be forced to make a hasty decision on such an important issue on the unilateral initiative of a Member State, without any prior consultation or negotiation,” Jordens said. he said.

She added: “There is no universally accepted definition of the term ‘gender’. As reflected in the outcomes of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the term has been understood in accordance with its ordinary and generally accepted use, without the establishment of a fixed or comprehensive definition. The United Nations must continue to approach gender equality with respect for diversity, with an inclusive and forward-looking approach. Any efforts to reconsider or reinterpret internationally accepted language should be undertaken through broad, transparent consultations with the full membership.”