July 1, 2016 | New York/The Hague
On June 30th, the Human Rights Council decided to appoint, for a period of three years, an Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Resolution, adopted by a vote of 23 in favor, 18 against and 6 abstentions, said the mandate of the Independent Expert would be to assess the implementation of existing international human rights instruments with regard to ways to overcome violence and discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity; raise awareness of violence and discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and to identify and address the root causes of violence and discrimination; and engage in dialogue and to consult with States and other relevant stakeholders.
The Council also requests the Independent Expert to report annually to it, starting from its thirty-fifth session, and to the General Assembly, starting from its seventy-second session.
"It is a great satisfaction that Uruguay, along with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico, continues to lead resolutions that enshrine the human rights of LGBT and Intersex persons. It is a momentous and historic event.” - Dip. Berta Sanseverino from Uruguay, Chair of the Human Rights Committee in the Chamber of Representatives
Dip. Minou Tavárez from Dominican Republic and PGA’s President reiterated the organization’s commitment to advocate for, mobilize and build support among parliamentarians around the world on the need to address and take action to ensure LGBT and Intersex persons enjoy human rights protections and participate equally and freely in society.
“As parliamentarians, we stand ready to cooperate fully with the Independent Expert to enable him or her to fulfill the mandate adopted by Member States and so tirelessly fought for by LGBTI civil society organizations. Through PGA’s Global Parliamentary Campaign against Discrimination based on SOGI, we have encouraged interactions between civil society representatives and their representatives in the Legislature, and collaborated with other relevant national and regional stakeholders and UN agencies. We look forward to having an Independent Expert to deepen our work on equality and non-discrimination at the national level." Dip. Minou Tavárez, PGA President (Dominican Republic)
The Parliament of Uruguay will be the venue of a PGA Seminar on Equality and Non-Discrimination based on SOGI for Latin American and Caribbean Parliamentarians on July 11, 2016 where a Parliamentary Handbook on Human Rights and SOGI, jointly prepared by PGA and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), will be launched.
“This is the perfect opportunity to come together to raise awareness about the daily challenges of LGBT and Intersex persons and provide parliamentarians with the appropriate tools and information to assist them in their legislative prerogatives, including how to cooperate with this newly appointed Independent Expert,” noted Dip. Sanseverino.
For more information, please contact Mónica Adame, Director of the Gender, Equality and Population Program, at monica.adame@pgaction.org
