The Trump administration has come under fire for joining with Iraq and Saudia Arabia on voting against a UN resolution condemning the death penalty for gay sex.

Human rights advocates and LGBT activists have condemned the US government as it became one of just 13 countries, including China, to refuse to condemn the "imposition of the death penalty as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations".

That resolution passed by a vote of 27 in favour, 13 voted against it and 7 abstentions.

The UN ruling also condemned the use of the death penalty on people with "mental or intellectual disabilities, persons below 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, and pregnant women".