U.N. Steps Up Efforts Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Violence and Discrimination
a press release from ILGA World and other international LGBTQ+ rights organizations.“Once again, the main U.N. human rights body made it clear: violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity must be prevented,” Gabriel Galil, senior program officer on U.N.
advocacy at ILGA World, said in the release. “This historic resolution takes significant steps forward that were long claimed by our communities: it denounces the negative impacts of criminalization 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 organizations working on SOGI issues.”The resolution was carried by a vote of 23-17, with seven abstentions.
Thirteen “hostile amendments” were proposed, the ILGA release notes, and all but one rejected. Text of the adopted amendment wasn’t immediately available, but “the core of the resolution affirming the universal nature of international human rights law stands firm,” the release says. “Billions of people continue to live with laws and societal attitudes that put them in danger,” Manisha Dhakal of the Blue Diamond Society in Nepal said in the release. “Acknowledging that so much work remains to be done, the Council once again reaffirmed its commitment to combatting discrimination and violence on grounds of SOGI, reminding all States of their obligations towards these communities.”The council Thursday “also adopted resolutions on the importance of casualty recording for the promotion and protection of human rights; human rights and the regulation of civilian acquisition, possession, and use of firearms; and access to medicines, vaccines, and other.
