30 juni 2016-COC Nederland
De mensenrechten van lesbiennes, homo’s, bi’s en transgenders (LHBT’s) worden een vast onderdeel op de agenda van de Mensenrechtenraad van de Verenigde Naties. Dat is het gevolg van een historische resolutie die de Mensenrechtenraad donderdag met een ruime meerderheid aannam. Ook komt er een onafhankelijke VN-expert die gaat rapporteren over LHBT-mensenrechten.
Het COC streed de afgelopen weken bij de Mensenrechtenraad in Genève voor dit besluit, samen met een groep LHBT-activisten en organisaties uit de hele wereld.
Ondanks felle tegenstand van landen als Egypte en Rusland werd de resolutie donderdag met een ruime meerderheid aangenomen (23 voor, 18 tegen). Ook behoudende landen als Georgië en Mongolië steunden het besluit.
Eindelijk structurele aandacht
Het besluit van de Raad heeft tot gevolg dat de VN eindelijk structureel aandacht gaat besteden aan de mensenrechten van LHBT’s in alle 193 VN-lidstaten. Een onafhankelijke VN-expert gaat jaarlijks rapporteren over geweld en discriminatie tegen LHBT’s en kan landen die LHBT-mensenrechten schenden op de vingers tikken.
“Dit is een historische doorbraak voor LHBT-mensenrechten bij de VN. Eindelijk komt er structureel aandacht voor het vreselijke geweld en de discriminatie waar zoveel LHBT’s overal ter wereld mee te maken krijgen,” reageren Alexander Hammelburg en Nikki Brörmann, die namens het COC de strijd in Genève voeren.
Alexander Hammelburg – linksboven op de foto – Spreekt tijdens zitting VN-Mensenrechtenraad
“LHBT-activisten hoeven nu niet meer op de deuren te kloppen van eindeloos veel verschillende VN-experts en rapporteurs, maar hebben nu eindelijk een eigen expert die met zorg mensenrechtenschendingen kan rapporteren en voorstellen kan doen om geweld en discriminatie aan te pakken,” zegt Alexander Hammelburg.
De resolutie werd de afgelopen dagen met passie verdedigd door de indieners: Argentinië, Brazilië, Chili, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico en Uruguay. Het COC wist diverse landen te overtuigen om de resolutie te steunen. Ook activisten uit onder meer El Salvador, Georgië en Mongolië – die door het COC worden gesteund – speelden een belangrijke rol.
COC Nederland heeft als een van de weinige LHBT-organisaties ter wereld een Speciale Consultatieve Status bij de Verenigde Naties. Die status gebruikt de organisatie om de belangen van LHBTI’s te behartigen en LHBTI-activisten uit tal van landen een podium te bieden bij de VN.
Bron foto: Alexander Hammelburg COC Nederland
Bron: COC Nederland
http://www.coc.nl/internationaal/historische-doorbraak-lhbt-mensenrechten-bij-vn
UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
In an historic and long-awaited move, the United Nations has adopted a resolution to appoint the first Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI).
Posted: 1 July 2016 ILGA Europe
The resolution was passed at the UN’s Human Rights Council yesterday in Geneva with 23 votes in favour, 18 against and 6 abstentions.
The new Independent Expert will monitor human rights violations against LGBTI people, monitor the implementation of anti-discrimination laws and be an international voice for sexual orientation and gender identity issues.
ILGA-Europe offer our congratulations to the dedicated LGBTI activists worldwide who have tirelessly campaigned towards this goal. Yesterday’s vote was a significant development at global level and is the result of all their hard work.
• From ILGA World, with comments from ILGA-Europe board member
Micah Grzywnowicz who attended the Human Rights Council session.
United Nations makes history on sexual orientation and gender identity
United Nations’ human rights body establishes an Independent Expert
United Nations Makes History on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
UN human rights body establishes an Independent Expert
(Geneva, June 30, 2016) – In a defining vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on “Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, and gender identity”, to mandate the appointment of an Independent Expert on the subject.
It is a historic victory for the human rights of all persons who are at risk of discrimination and violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, 28 human rights groups said today. This resolution builds upon two previous resolutions, adopted by the Council in 2011 and 2014.
The Core Group of seven Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay – and 41 additional countries jointly presented the text.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 23 in favor, 18 against and 6 abstentions.
“This is truly momentous,” said Micah Grzywnowicz from the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights, RFSL. “This is our opportunity to bring international attention to specific violations and challenges faced by transgender and gender non-conforming persons in all regions. It’s time for international community to take responsibility to ensure that persons at risk of violence and discrimination because of gender identity are not left behind.”
“It’s an historic resolution,” added Josefina Valencia from International LGBTI Association for Latin America and the Caribbean, ILGA LAC. “Latin America has played a very important role to build a common course for the advancement of our human rights. We are proud of the international solidarity and the commitment shown by States for equality.”
positive vote responds to a joint campaign of a record 628 nongovernmental organizations from 151 countries calling on the Council to adopt the resolution and create the SOGI Independent Expert.
”It is important to note that around 70% of the organizations are from the global south,” said Yahia Zaidi of MantiQitna Network. “This is a powerful cross regional message of strength to the United Nations to protect the rights of LGBTI persons. The Independent Expert will be a focal point for all violations based on SOGI and hence help grassroots organizations to better utilize the otherwise complex labyrinth of the UN system.”
The Expert will be tasked with assessing implementation of existing international human rights law, identifying best practices and gaps, raising awareness of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, engaging in dialogue and consultation with States and other stakeholders, and facilitating provision of advisory services, technical assistance, capacity-building and cooperation to help address violence and discrimination on these grounds.
“To have an Independent Expert can be a ‘game-changer’ in counter-acting violence which fuels the HIV epidemic in key populations and more specifically in LGBT communities,” said Alain Kra of Espace Confiance.
“It will ease the work of all human rights defenders and it is essential for our governments and people to have the knowledge on how to protect LGBT communities from any violence and discrimination they face,” added Joleen Mataele of the Tonga Leiti’s Association.
Although a number of hostile amendments seeking to introduce notions of cultural relativism were adopted into the text by vote,the core of the resolution affirming the universal nature of international human rights law stood firm.
We hope that this resolution will mark a turning point in the struggle to create a world free from violence and discrimination for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Results of the vote
Voting in favor of the resolution
Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Macedonia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, UK, Venezuela, Viet Nam
Voting against the resolution
Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, China, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Morocco, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Togo, United Arab Emirates
Abstaining on the resolution
Botswana, Ghana, India, Namibia, Philippines, South Africa
Press contacts
1. Access Chapter
2. AIDES France
3. Amnesty International
4. ARC International / Arvind Narrain
5. Clóset de Sor Juana AC
6. Egale Canada Human Rights Trust
7. Espacio de Mujeres Lesbianas Salvadoreñas por la Diversidad (ESMULES)
8. Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie van Homoseksualiteit – COC Nederland / Alexander Hammelburg
9. Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice (FORSOGI), Thailand
10. FRI, the Norwegian Organisation for Sexual and Gender Diversity
11. GALANG Philippines
12. GATE – Global Action for Trans* Equality / Mauro Cabral
13. Human Rights Law Centre
14. Human Rights Watch / John Fisher
15. Iranti-org / Jabu Periera
16. International Commission of Jurists
17. ILGA LAC, Asociación Internacional de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersexuales para América Latina y el Caribe. / Paul Caballero
18. International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) / André du Plessis
19. Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO)
20. LGBT Denmark – the National Organization for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered People
21. MantiQitna Network / Yahia Zaidi /
22. OutRight Action International / Jessica Stern
23. Pacific Sexual Diversity Network
24. Pan Africa ILGA / Monica Tabengwa
25. Proyecto Arcoiris, colectivo anticapitalista e independiente
26. Samoa Faafafine Association
27. Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL) – Micah Grzywnowicz
28. TLF Share Collective – Philippines
29. Tonga Leitis Association
Bron: ILGA Europe
http://ilga.org/united-nations-makes-history-sexual-orientation-gender-identity/
Bron cover foto: ILGA Europe www.ilga.org
