THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBTI PEOPLE: A GROUNDBREAKING NEW REPORT
The Human Rights Likeminded Office delivered in September its first report in a groundbreaking project to develop a toolbox for advancing the human rights of LGBTI people and provide crucial substantive inputs to the United Nations.
For the first time, the United Nations is having its work on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics reviewed in relation to a range of human rights issues. The first Informative Guide focused on the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council in September 2019, examining resolutions on the topics of the death penalty, mental health and older persons, among others. It presented the commitments expressed by Member States in human rights resolutions, as well as the human rights obligations described by United Nations experts and officials on the same topics.
The Informative Guide remains relevant as it highlights key human rights concerns and provides a rationale for any proposal that will be delivered in negotiations on resolutions or in official statements to address those concerns in any UN process. In national settings, civil society organizations can use the information from the UN to support their advocacy. Parliamentarians and government officials can identify areas and good practices for improvement through legislation and government policy.
IMPACT OF THE PROJECT
The project is aimed to inform and advise decision-makers and support effective advocacy for LGBTI people:
• Promote human rights norms in all countries
• Increase global attention to discrimination and violence against LGBTI people wherever it occurs
• Advance inclusion and better government policies for LGBTI people in health, education, and other areas
• Increase access of LGBTI NGOs to the UN to advocate against human rights violations internationally
• Support the designation of senior posts and sections throughout the UN to advance equal rights and fair treatment for LGBTI people
"The timely updates from HRLO really helped us navigate a constantly-changing reporting landscape at the Human Rights Council. We simply don’t have the capacity to do the in-depth research on the reports and sessions that HRLO followed. A great resource!"
André du Plessis, former Executive Director, ILGA (International LGBTI Association)
NEXT STEPS
The Human Rights Likeminded Office needs your support to develop more outputs in this project, in consultation with other civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders:
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Addressing many more human rights topics, to be discussed in future sessions of the General Assembly and Human Rights Council
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Developing practical proposals for U.N. resolutions, in consultation with LGBTI organizations
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Supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
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Promoting the engagement of LGBTI organizations with the United Nations
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Reviewing the institutional work of the entire U.N. system
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE UNITED NATIONS
The human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have seen the greatest progress at the international level in recent years than any other topic, but they also face the greatest pushback. Within a decade, attitudes changed from absolute no mention of LGBTI people at the UN, to the recognition of LGBTI rights in every forum. Violence on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) has even been condemned in the Security Council, the most powerful organ of the UN. Leaders and celebrities participate in LGBTI events that have become a tradition at the UN. A UN Independent Expert was appointed to investigate and report on violations of the human rights of sexual minorities around the world.
Still, only a handful of UN resolutions address the rights of LGBTI people.
100 UN resolutions ignoring LGBTI people represent 100 missed opportunities.
The Human Rights Likeminded Office provides the tools to seize those opportunities!
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