UN RENEWS CRUCIAL HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT MANDATE ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY

1’256 non-governmental organisations from 149 States and territories in all regions supported a campaign to renew the mandate.

Today’s vote was the first time that the Human Rights Councilan inter-governmental body within the United Nations which has the responsibility to promote and protect human rights. It is comprised of 47 member States, each elected to 3-year terms by the 193 member States of the United Nations. More adopted a resolution explicitly condemning legislation that criminalises consensual same-sex conducts and diverse genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. More identities, and called on States to amend discriminatory legislation and combat violence on the grounds on SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity More.

Votes on the resolution to renew the IESOGIO mandate

“Billions of people continue to live with laws and societal attitudes that put them in danger”, said Manisha Dhakal of Blue Diamond Society in Nepal, on behalf of a global coalition of civil society organisations. “Acknowledging that so much work remains to be done, the Council once again reaffirmed its commitment to combatting discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. More and violence on grounds of SOGI, reminding all States of their obligations towards these communities.”

“The existence of a specific UN human rights mechanism on violence and discrimination on the basis of SOGI is crucial for our communities to be heard at the global level,” added Carlos Idibouo of Fierté Afrique Francophone (FAF) from Cote d’Ivoire. “If the world is truly committed to leaving no one behind, it can’t shy away from addressing the violence and discrimination that we face. Laws criminalising our identities and actions are unjust and should no longer be tolerated”.

Created in 2016, and renewed for the first time in 2019, the Independent Expert has been supported by a growing number of States from all regions. The resolution to create and renew the mandate was presented by a Core Group of seven Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay –  and was cosponsored by 60 countries from all regions.

“Having secured a renewal for three more years, this mandate will now continue to support initiatives in countries around the world ensuring that LGBT and gender-diverse people live free of inequality , and to amplify their voices and testimonies in international human rights fora,” added Aleh Ordóñez Rodríguez of Ledeser in Mexico.

Not only did the renewal process successfully overcome 12 of 13 hostile amendments, the core of the resolution affirming the universal nature of international human rights lawa legal system laying down obligations which States are bound to respect. By becoming parties to international treaties, States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect and fulfil human rights – including by putting into place domestic measures and legislation. Where domestic legal proceedings fail to address human rights abuses, mechanisms and procedures for individual complaints or communications are available at the regional and international levels to help ensure that international human rights standards are respected. More stands firm.

The Independent Expert assesses implementation of international human rights law, by talking to States, and working collaboratively with other UN and regional mechanisms to address violence and discrimination. Since 2016 the world has heard more about the impact of criminalisation of same-sex relations between consenting adults, the need to legally recognise a person’s gender, the barriers to social inclusion and the importance of collecting data related to LGBT lives, the harm caused by so-called ‘conversion therapy’, and more. The Expert has also cast a light on good practices to prevent discrimination, and recently conducted visits to Argentina, Georgia, Mozambique, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

“Once again, the main UN human rights body made it clear: violence and discrimination based on sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. More and gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. More must be prevented,” said Gabriel Galil, Senior Programme Officer Senior on UN advocacy at ILGA World. “This historic resolution takes significant steps forward that were long claimed by our communities: it denounces the negative impacts of criminalisation of consensual same-sex conducts and diverse gender identities, and calls on UN member States to amend discriminatory legislation, take measures to combat violence, and to protect the civic space of organisations working on SOGI issues”.

We hope that all governments cooperate fully with the Independent Expert in this important work to bring about a world free from violence and discrimination for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Delighted to learn that the @UN_HRC has just renewed the mandate of the #IESOGI; as humbled & honoured as the first day to continue serving persons, communities and peoples affected from discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.@free_equal pic.twitter.com/qAMvbNgAWQ

— IE SOGI, Victor Madrigal-Borloz (@victor_madrigal) July 7, 2022

Note to editors:

1. The Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. The mandate was established in 2016 and has been held by Vitit Muntarbhorn (2016-2017) from Thailand, and Victor Madrigal-Borloz (2018-ongoing) from Costa Rica.
2. The press release refers to “people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities” or to “LGBT” – instead of “LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. More” – as the mandate is specifically tasked with addressing human rights violations on sexual orientation and gender identity.

ORGANISATIONS SIGNING THE STATEMENT

1. APCOM Foundation
2. Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
3. Campaign for Change
4. Canadian Labour Congress
5. Centre for the Development of People
6. COALIBOL LGBTI
7. COC Nederland
8. Coeur Arc-en-ciel
9. Conurbanes por la Diversidad
10. Council for Global Equality
11. Cupe Ontario
12. Dialogai
13. Diverlex Diversidad e Igualdad a Través de la Ley
14. Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality
15. Edge Effect
16. Egale Canada
17. Equal Asia Foundation
18. ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey
19. F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa Trust
20. Fierté Afrique Francophone
21. FRI – The Norwegian Organisation for Sexual and Gender Diversity
22. Fundación Diversencia
23. Fundación Igualdad
24. Fundación Iguales
25. GATE – Global Action for Transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. More Equality
26. GENDERDOC-M Information Centre
27. Human Rights Campaign
28. Human Rights Watch
29. ILGA Asia
30. ILGA World, media (at) ilga.org
31. ILGALAC- Asociación Internacional de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersexan umbrella term for the spectrum of variations of sex characteristics that naturally occur within the human species. Intersex people are born with variations of sex characteristics (such as genitals, reproductive organs, hormonal and chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies. Up to 1.7% of the global population are born with such traits; yet, because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatised and subject to harmful practices – including in medical settings - and discriminated against. More para América Latina y el Caribe
32. International Commission of Jurists
33. International Family Equality Day
34. International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations
35. Iranti-NPC
36. ISHR
37. Kasbah Tal’fin
38. Las Reinas Chulas Cabaret y Derechos Humanos AC
39. Lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves. More and Gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
    attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
    term to describe themselves. More Federation in Germany LSVD
40. LGBT Association ‘LIGA’
41. MANODIVERSA
42. MSI Reproductive Choices
43. National LGBT* organization LGL
44. OPSEU/SEFPO
45. Organizando Trans Diversidades (Asociación OTD Chile)
46. OutRight Action International
47. Pacific Human Rights Initiative
48. Pan Africa ILGA
49. Pink human rights defender NGO
50. Planet Allya term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTI people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as LGBTI people who actively support other populations within the community at large. More
51. Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK)
52. RAM Gender Diversity Movement Trust
53. Red de Desarrollo Sostenible de Nicaragua
54. Red de Litigantes LGBTI de las Américas
55. Red Sin Violencia LGBTI
56. RFSL
57. RFSU
58. Sexrefers to the classification of a person as male, female, or other - usually made at birth, written on a birth certificate, and usually based on the appearance of their external anatomy. A person’s sex, however, is actually a combination of bodily characteristics, including chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. More og Politikk (IPPF Norway)
59. Swiss Rainbow Families Organisation
60. The Global Interfaith Network (GIN-SSOGIE)
61. The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
62. Transvanilla Transgender Association
63. Uganda Key Populations Consortium – UKPC