Same-sex union legislation marriages performed in the Netherlands are recognized in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry has been and remains the topic of debate worldwide. Thirty-four countries and four jurisdictions worldwide have passed constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and sometimes other forms of legal unions as well. Seventeen countries and twenty-nine jurisdictions worldwide have authorized civil unions or unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples as an alternative to marriage. The legal name of those unions as well as the number of rights that they provide can vary greatly. The first
Same-sex marriage in Malta did not intend to put the issue to a popular vote. On 30 September 2013, the first day of the new legislative session, the Parliament of Malta held the first reading of the "Civil Unions Bill", which was published on 14 October 2013. The legislation establishes civil unions () for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples with the same rights as those available to married couples, including joint adoption rights. Despite the fact that people in Malta regardless of sexual orientation were already able to adopt as individuals, opponents made adoption rights the focus of their objections to the legislation. In