March 22, 2011– Today the United Nations’ Human Rights Council issued a joint statement titled, “Ending Acts of Violence and Related Human Rights Violations Based On Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” calling for an end to violence, criminal sanctions, and human rights violations against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The statement, which was signed by a record-breaking 84 countries, is a positive step toward improving the lives of LGBT persons in communities around the world. The number of countries signing onto the statement increased by 30 since 2006 when the issue was first debated.
The Council is gratified by the strong support shown by the U.S. Government and by the Department of State in particular. Earlier today, the Department released a fact sheet outlining key components of the statement. As noted in that document, the U.S. played a strong leadership role in today’s result, and the newly adopted statement adds a number of references not seen in previous LGBT statements at the UN.
ARC International, noted in a press statement, “The Joint Statement supports what UN human rights bodies have repeatedly expressed: that no one should face rights violations because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”In a separate press statement, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Tran and Intersex Association (IGLA) notes that the larger number of signators to this statement is a “credit to the increased sensitivity of national governments, and the work of international, regional and local LGBTI human rights activists all over the world.”
The Council for Global Equality supported a joint NGO statement on this matter, joining 118 other organizations from over 60 countries in commending the UNHRC on its success in today’s positive result. The statement also called on the Human Rights Council to address human rights violations against individuals and to continue to work with the countries that did not sign onto the statement with a view to strengthening international understanding that human rights are universal, and not limited by sexual orientation or gender identity.
- View the full UNHRC declaration here
- Read Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton's press statement here
- Read The White House press statement here
The full list of countries signed on are: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the former-Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela
