The 191-member UN General Assembly is sharply divided over gay and lesbian rights but the advocates of same sex relations said the very mention of the subject in the world body would give fillip to the cause.

Currently, homosexuality which came up in the Assembly for the first time -- is illegal in 77 countries with 7 providing the death penalty.

A joint French-Netherlands drafted Declaration calling for decriminalising homosexuality gathered support from 66 members and an opposing one around 60. The declarations are still open to signatures but so far no resolution has been drafted which could determine the strength of two sides.

The French used unusual method to raise the issue as apparently they did not have enough votes to get the resolution through the Assembly but the Muslim countries failed in their bid to alter a Swiss sponsored draft resolution condemning summary executions. They would have liked to get the ‘sexual orientation’ deleted but the Assembly did not agree.

The French-Dutch declaration, which was read out by Argentina at the Assembly plenary, evoked outrage especially among the Muslims countries though its supporters said the punishment in several countries for same sex relations is a legacy of British colonialism.

France and Netherlands took advantage of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to raise the issue, stressing that it equally applied irrespective of sexual orientation.

It also urged all states to take legislative and administrative measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties including executions.