UN adopts plan to combat violence against women

UNITED NATIONS - More than 130 nations have agreed on a U.N. blueprint to combat violence against women and girls.

Conservative Muslim and Roman Catholic countries and more liberal Western nations joined consensus on a compromise 17-page document night to loud applause at the end of a contentious two-week meeting of the U.N. Commission on the Status or Women Friday night.

On Wednesday, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood sharply criticized the anticipated document, saying it was "deceitful," clashed with Islamic principles and undermined family values. But the Egyptian delegation supported the final document.

A number of countries including Iran, Sudan and the Holy See expressed reservations about some elements of the text - but Libya was the only country to dissociate itself from the final document, though it did not block consensus.,