For the second time this week, Argentina was the only member country of the United Nations to vote against a draft resolution — in this case, a pledge to bolster protections against gender-based violence with a specific focus on “the digital environment.”

The comprehensive draft resolution highlighted a wide array of priorities and called on states to establish a wide range of policies, such as “comprehensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary, accessible and sustained multisectoral services, programs and responses for all victims and survivors of all forms of violence, including sexual harassment online and offline, that are adequately resourced.”

The resolution passed with 170 votes in favor, 13 abstentions, and Argentina’s single vote against it.

The draft resolution highlighted the “commitment to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which President Javier Milei specifically lambasted in his debut General Assembly speech in September.

Secretary of Religion and Civilization Nahuel Sotelo said Argentina voted against the resolution because it “invoked the women’s agenda to limit freedom of expression.” Sotelo, who was appointed in August and is an ultra-catholic activist, told La Nación newspaper the document had “a radical feminist approach” lacking “scientific evidence.”

Argentina has historically been regarded as having an exemplary record of gender policies. However, the country’s fight against gender-based violence has lost institutionality for the first time in almost 40 years following the arrival of Milei and austerity measures slashing key funding for programs and agencies.

The surprising dissension is the latest in a series of departures from the country’s historical diplomatic stances this week. On Monday, Argentina was the only country to reject the Rights of Indigenous Peoples resolution aimed at preserving their spiritual beliefs, ancestral knowledge, and languages. On Wednesday, Milei recalled the Argentine delegation from the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP29).

Former Foreign Minister Diana Mondino was ousted two weeks ago following a UN vote in favor of Cuba. The explicit goal of appointing Gerardo Werthein, Mondino’s replacement, was to carry out an international stance more aligned with the United States and Israel (although both voted in favor of Thursday’s resolution).

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