A United Nations committee on Monday rejected a second attempt to suspend the organization's new office to investigate and report on violence and discrimination against sexual minorities.

Last month, African states led by Botswana called on the General Assembly's human rights committee to delay creation of the office and suspend the work of Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand, who was appointed as the office's first expert in the fall. The effort failed.

Botswana's second attempt also failed, with 84 countries voting against the motion, including the United States, and 77 backing it. Sixteen nations abstained from the vote.

“The U.N. General Assembly vote makes clear that no one should be subjected to discrimination and violence on any grounds,” OutRight Action International Executive Director Jessica Stern told the Washington Blade. “We congratulate the many states, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations that worked to ensure that the universal human rights system would be upheld. Today was a victory for human rights.”

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power tweeted a photo of the motion failing. “General Assembly rejects African attempt to end the post of UN Independent Expert to monitor violence/discrim vs LGBT,” she captioned the photo.

After last month's loss, Charles Ntwaagae, Botswana's ambassador to the UN, reiterated Africa's opposition, saying that the Human Rights Council was ignoring race- and religion-based discrimination while focusing on people's “sexual interests and behaviors.”