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United Nations Joint Statement on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
Take action by Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Kentucky
Equality Federation fights for LGBT rights
throughout the Commonwealth;
we also fight globally as the lead organization
representing the
International Lesbian & Gay Association in
the U.S. Midwest. We need your
help......
In
mid-December 2008, States from every region of
the world will join
together to deliver a statement recognizing
human rights violations
based on sexual orientation and gender identity
at the United Nations
General Assembly.
December
2008 marks the 60th
Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. On this
historic occasion, the joint statement will
affirm that human rights
truly are the birthright of all human beings,
regardless of their
sexual orientation or gender identity.
We want the
United Nations to add sexual orientation and
gender identity as a
protected class; as such, all member states
would be required to follow
it!
Initiated
by the French Republic,
the joint statement is being coordinated by a
cross-regional core group
of States, including representatives from all 5
United Nations regions (Argentine
Republic, Federative Republic of
Brazil, Croatia, French
Republic, Gabon, Japan (formerly Empire of
Japan), the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom
of Norway and Ukraine).
These States are seeking to send a powerful
message by delivering the
statement on behalf of as many States from
different regions as
possible. It has already attracted over 50
signatories. This initiative
builds upon a previous joint statement
delivered in 2006 at the United
Nations Human Rights Council by the Kingdom of
Norway on behalf of 54
UN States.
With your
help, we would like to encourage as many
countries as possible to join
the statement, making it the largest-ever UN
statement addressing human
rights based on sexual orientation and gender
identity. It will also be the first to
be delivered at the UN General Assembly, the
United Nations�s highest political
body.
We welcome the adoption of Resolution AG/RES.
2435 (XXXVIII-O/08) on �Human Rights,
Sexual Orientation, and Gender
Identity� by the General Assembly of
the Organization of American States during its
38th session in 3 June 2008. (story)
What can I do?
If you think your country might be supportive,
it is urgent to contact them and encourage them
to join the statement;
Which States have already expressed support?
Which have not yet done so?
The main States which have already joined, or
might consider joining, the statement
are:
Western Group:
the 27 European Union countries have already
expressed their support
for the statement, as have Andorra, Iceland,
State of Israel,
Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway and
Switzerland. The Commonwealth
of Australia, Canada and the United
States of America supported the previous joint
statement in 2006 but
have not yet joined the current statement, and
should be encouraged to
maintain their support this time
also.
Central
and Eastern Europe: The Central and Eastern
European States which are
EU Members have already endorsed the statement,
as have Armenia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia,
Ukraine, and the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Latin
America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Ecuador, Mexico
and Uruguay have already expressed their
support. All other Latin
American and Caribbean States supported a
historic resolution of the
Organization of American States on human
rights, sexual orientation and
gender identity earlier this year, and may
therefore be willing to join
the current statement as well.
Africa:
Gabon, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau have
already expressed their
support. This itself is significant since it
will be the first time
ever that such a statement has attracted
support from all 5 UN regions,
including Africa. The main additional State to
urge to join the
statement is South Africa, which includes
sexual orientation in its
Constitution, recently affirmed its commitment
to non-discrimination on
the ground of sexual orientation during the
UPR, but has yet to join
any such initiative.
Asia: Japan has already expressed
its support. However, this is currently the
only Asian State to join the initiative.
How do I contact my government?
The most important contact for the United
States is the U.S.
Department of State.
It
is also critical to copy any message to your
country�s Ambassador
to the United Nations in
New York.
What do I tell them?
Send a copy of the joint statement and the Fact
Sheet we have prepared
to help provide governments with more
information (copy and paste the
message below into your message). Remember,
send the same information
to the U.S. State Department as well as the
U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations (see links
above).
l
We have the honor to make this statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity on behalf of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, and its member organization, Kentucky Equality Federation.
1 - We reaffirm the principle of universality of human rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whose 60th anniversary is celebrated this year, Article 1 of which proclaims that �all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights�;
2 - We reaffirm that everyone is entitled to the enjoyment of human rights without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, as set out in Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 2 of the International Covenants on Civil and Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as in article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
3 - We reaffirm the principle of non-discrimination which requires that human rights apply equally to every human being regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity;
4 - We are deeply concerned by violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms based on sexual orientation or gender identity;
5 - We are also disturbed that violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatisation and prejudice are directed against persons in all countries in the world because of sexual orientation or gender identity, and that these practices undermine the integrity and dignity of those subjected to these abuses;
6 - We condemn the human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity wherever they occur, in particular the use of the death penalty on this ground, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the practice of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, arbitrary arrest or detention and deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health;
7 - We recall the statement in 2006 before the Human Rights Council by fifty four countries requesting the President of the Council to provide an opportunity, at an appropriate future session of the Council, for discussing these violations;
8 - We commend the attention paid to these issues by special procedures of the Human Rights Council and treaty bodies and encourage them to continue to integrate consideration of human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity within their relevant mandates;
9 - We welcome the adoption of Resolution AG/RES. 2435 (XXXVIII-O/08) on �Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity� by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States during its 38th session in 3 June 2008;
10 - We call upon all States and relevant international human rights mechanisms to commit to promote and protect human rights of all persons, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity;
11 - We urge States to take all the necessary measures, in particular legislative or administrative, to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detention.
12 - We urge States to ensure that human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity are investigated and perpetrators held accountable and brought to justice;
13 - We urge States to ensure adequate protection of human rights defenders, and remove obstacles which prevent them from carrying out their work on issues of human rights and sexual orientation and gender identity.
