HRC SESSION 38 (JUN-JUL 2018) – ILGA’S ENGAGEMENT

HRC 38 – 38th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Geneva, 18 June – 6 July 2018

Download the report presented to the Human Rights Council presented by the Independent Expert on SOGI
and consult our notes from the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on SOGI, when the report was presented (18 June 2018).

ILGA’s involvement at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC):

In this section:

Statements at the HRC

Interactive Dialogue with the UN Independent Expert on SOGI and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Health and the Special Rapporteur on leprosy
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences
Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice
Item 4 General Debate – Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Annual thematic Panel Discussion on Technical cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights
Item 10 General Debate – Technical assistance and capacity building
Item 10 General Debate (joint statement) – Technical assistance and capacity building
End of session

(more statements will be added as the session unfolds)

Side events

(more side events will be added as the session unfolds)

Adoption of UPR outcomes

Romania
Botswana
Burundi

Statements at the HRC

INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE UN INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY, AND WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

In this statement (joined by Asilegal and prepared in consultation with ILGALAC) delivered during the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Indepenent Expert on SOGI, we shared concerns about the historical debt of social justice that is projected in the little recognition and guarantee of the rights to health, education, work, housing and social security to LGBT people, as well as the lack of visibility of the different trans-masculine identities and bisexual people. Click here to read the full statement or watch the video of the statement being delivered

INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HEALTH AND THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON LEPROSY

In this ILGA-Europe statement, delivered in representation of 23 trans and gender diverse activists and scholars from 19 countries, we highlight how trans communities are disproportionately impacted by violence sanctioned by the state, and suffer from health inequalities that compound other forms of discrimination, making for multiple human rights abuses. Click here to read the statement.

ITEM 3: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

In this joint statement with COC Nederland, and delivered in consultation with the European Lesbian* Conference, we highlighted how the digital space has become an additional platform for trolls to unleash their violence, harassment or bullying against women, and we strongly welcomed the inclusion of SOGIE and lesbians* in the Special Rapporteur’s report on Online violence against Women.
Click here to read the statement, or watch the video of the statement being delivered:

INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE WORKING GROUP ON THE ISSUE OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN LAW AND IN PRACTICE

In this joint statement by ILGA-Europe and COC Nederland, prepared in consultation with the European Lesbian* Conference, we share the Working Group’s concern over the unprecedented pushback across regions by an alliance of conservative political ideologies and religious fundamentalisms, and demanded that it use its power to take significant steps to support and enable lesbians* to enjoy equality and visibility.
Click here to read the statement, or watch the video of the statement being delivered

ITEM 4 GENERAL DEBATE – HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE THE COUNCIL’S ATTENTION

With this statemnet, ILGA drew the Human Rights Council’s attention to cases of violence and discrimination against LGBTI persons that have occurred in the past few months, and reiterated that protecting all human beings is not ‘outside’ the international legal framework.
Click here to read the statement, or watch a video of the statement being delivered

ANNUAL THEMATIC PANEL DISCUSSION ON TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

With this joint statement delivered in consultation with APCOM, Egale, the Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network, Stonewall and the Swedish Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, we highlighted how paramount it is that technical cooperation is used to ensure a coherent and inclusive implementation of the SDGs that also benefits and fully includes LGBTI population.

Click here to read the statement, or watch the video of the statement being delivered

ITEM 10: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING

With this statement, we shared wit the Human Rights Council some recent examples of best practices and progressive measures taken to protect LGBTI persons around the world.

Click here to read the statement.

ITEM 10 (joint statement): TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING

With this statement, we joined other eigth non-governmental organisations to highlight key features for the next UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose work is essential to justice, fairness and dignity for all.

Click here to read the joint statement.

END OF SESSION

With this statement, we joined other eigth non-governmental organisations to welcome the adoption of the resolutions on civil society space, peaceful protest, on violence against women and girls and on discrimination against women and girls, as well as the Council’s rejection of attempts to impede progress on protecting civil society space, peaceful protest and the rights to sexual and reproductive health.

Click here to read the joint statement.

Side events

MAINSTREAMING GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION IN FEMINIST AND GENDER EQUALITY WORK

This panel discussed how, in the 21st century, transgender rights can and should be a central part of gender equality and gender rights work, and how the concept of gender can broaden to be more inclusive of diverse identities, linguistic and cultural differences and terminologies

Watch a recording of the event below:

YOGYAKARTA PRINCIPLES PLUS 10 AND THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE

This side event addressed those supplementary Principles and obligations in the Yogyakarta Principles plus 10, related them to the lived realities of trans and gender diverse people around the world, and explored the increased utility of both YP and YP+10 to dismantle systems, practices, and prejudices that promote and inflict human rights violations based on gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.

Watch a recording of the event below:

Adoption of UPR outcomes

During the 38th session of the Human Rights Council, ILGA will work with human rights defenders from various countries to help deliver statements during the UPR adoptions.

ROMANIA

During the 29th Working Group session, Romania received 15 SOGIESC recommendations . It accepted 13 and partially noted 2.
Click here to read our statement, prepared in consultation with ACCEPT Association and ECPI-Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives, or watch the video of the statement being delivered below

BOTSWANA

During the 29th Working Group session, Botswana received 15 SOGIESC recommendations, and noted all of them.
Click here to read the ILGA and COC joint statement, prepared in consultation with LeGABiBo, or watch the video of the statement being delivered below

BURUNDI

During the 29th Working Group session, Botswana received 11 SOGIESC recommendations, and noted all of them.
Click here to read our statement, or watch the video of the statement being delivered below