HRC SESSION 44 (JUN-JUL 2020) – ILGA WORLD’S ENGAGEMENT

Geneva,  30 June – 20 July 2020
ILGA’s involvement at the 44th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC)

Reports:

• summary of SOGIESC issues mentioned in the reports presented during the 44th 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. session
• compilation of notes on the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on SOGI

In this section:

Statements at the HRC

• Item 2 – Interactive Dialogue on the Annual Report of the High Commissioner
• Item 3 – Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on 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. Against Women
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sogiabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity (‘Conversion therapy’)
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sogiabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity (‘Corrective Rape’ As A Form Of ‘Conversion therapy’)
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sogiabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity (Transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Advocacy Week on ‘Conversion therapy’)
• Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sogiabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity (on the outcomes of the country visit to Ukraine)
• Item 9 – Racism, racial 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., xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Side events

• 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. Rights at 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.
• Banning conversion therapies – Protecting 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. persons from harmful practices

Statements at the HRC

ITEM 2 – INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER

In this joint statement with ARC International, COC Nederland, ISHR, Outright Action International and RFSL, we welcome the recognition by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights of specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on 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. persons, and the report  on race and genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. 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. in sports – calling for states to adopt legislation prohibiting 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. based on sex characteristicsa term that refers to physical features relating to sex - including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty..

Click here to read the statement

ITEM 3 – PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

In this joint statement we drew the attention of the Human Rights Counciil to the human rights situation of 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., 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., bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders., transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. and 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. persons and those that defend their rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Click here to read the statement

ITEM 4 – INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

In this joint statement with COC Nederland and ILGA World (prepared in consultation with the Eurocentralasian 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.* Community, Bilitis Resource Center Foundation, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, GLAS Foundation, Single Step Foundation, and Fundación Mujer y Mujer) we addressed the problem LBTI women journalists in Bulgaria and Ecuador.
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 5 – INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE WORKING GROUP ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN

In this statement, we highlighted how LBTI women are vulnerable in work settings, as only 40% of states protect on grounds of 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. in employment, and how COVID-19 particularly affected women.
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 6 – INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SOGI (‘CONVERSION THERAPY’)

In this joint statement with ILGA-Europe we emphasized the recommendation to adopt legal measures against “conversion therapy”pseudo-scientific and harmful practices used to attempt altering a person’s gender expression, gender identity or sexual orientation, based upon the wrong assumptions that any diversity is intrinsically disordered and can/should be changed. included in the independent expert’s report, calling on policy makers to take into account that these practices have the potential of leading people to extreme anxiety, depression and suicide.
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 7: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SOGI (‘CORRECTIVE RAPE’ AS A FORM OF ‘CONVERSION THERAPY’)

In this statement, we addressed how 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., bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders. and queerpreviously used as a derogatory term to refer to LGBT individuals in the English language – and still perceived as offensive by some - queer has been reclaimed by people who identify beyond traditional gender categories and heteronormative social norms. Although not universally accepted, it is often used as a catch-all to include many people within the larger community of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics. women are disproportionally subjected to rapes intended to “correct” (‘corrective rape’) their 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. and/or 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..
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 8: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SOGI (TRANS ADVOCACY WEEK ON ‘CONVERSION THERAPY’)

In this statement, released jointly with our Transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Advocacy Week partners, we highlighted how transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. and genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. non-conforming people are still required to produce mental health diagnoses to access legal gender recognitionlaws, administrative procedures or processes by which a person can change their sex/gender marker and names on official identity documents. and genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. affirming healthcare.
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 9: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SOGI (ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE COUNTRY VISIT TO UKRAINE)

In this statement relesed with COC Nederland, and prepared in consultation with the Public Organization ‘Insight’ and LGBT Human Rights Centre ‘Nash Mir’, we expressed concern for the increase of attacks against 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. communities by right-wing radicals in Ukraine.
Click here to read the statement or watch the video below

ITEM 10 – RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED FORMS OF INTOLERANCE, FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DURBAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION

In this joint statement with Race and Equality, we drew the Human Rights Council’s attention to the situation of racial injustice and police brutality that affects Black and Brown persons including those with diverse sexual orientations, genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. identities, genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. expressions and sex characteristicsa term that refers to physical features relating to sex - including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty. (SOGIESCabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity & expression, and sex characteristics.) worldwide.

Click here to read the statement

Side events

Intersex rights at the Human Rights Council

Tuesday 14 July, 13:30 PM [CEST]
The side event, taking place during the 44th session of 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., seeks to discuss human rights violations against 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. persons, unpack the mechanisms that lead to 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. and violence of 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. persons in all spheres of life – including in sports, and discuss possible ways forward towards better and more specific protections on persons with diverse sex characteristicsa term that refers to physical features relating to sex - including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty. in the international human rights framework. Learn more.

Banning conversion therapies – Protecting LGBTI persons from harmful practices

Wednesday 15 July, 15:00 PM [CEST]
In his report the Independent Expert on SOGIabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity defined conversion therapy as “an umbrella term to describe interventions of a wide-ranging nature, all of which are premised on the belief that a person’s 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. 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., including gender expressionrefers to how a person presents their gender through physical appearance – including dress, hairstyles, accessories, cosmetics – and mannerisms, speech, behavioural patterns, names and personal references., can and should be changed or suppressed when they do not fall under what other actors in a given setting and time perceive as the desirable norm, in particular when the person is 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., 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., bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders., transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. or genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. diverse.” Learn more.