Category: Human Rights Bodies

In a resolution adopted today, the European Parliament has expressed its concern regarding “discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The adopted text is a recommendation from the Parliament to EU Member States to speak out for LGBTI people at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The Parliament specifically expresses its concern over the situation of human rights defenders, which are in many states faced with unfair and restrictive legislation, such as the infamous Foreign Agents law in Russia.

In particular, it asks for increased support to LGBTI human rights defenders, who are additionally targeted through so-called anti-propaganda laws, which seek to obstruct the work of LGBTI civil society organisations.

Such laws are currently in place in Russia, Algeria, Nigeria as well as Lithuania, and under discussion in Kyrgyzstan.

Furthermore, MEPs reaffirmed their support for the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Reacting to the vote, Tanja Fajon MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament’s LGBTI Intergroup, said: “The Parliament adopted a very strong resolution today, demanding nothing less than global equality for all.”

“Indeed, many countries are making incredible progress in respecting the human rights of LGBTI people. Yet, this progress may have overshadowed the lack of basic rights afforded to LGBTI people in other countries, who may even face a backlash. Even the EU itself still hasn’t achieved genuine equality in the struggle against homophobia and transphobia.”

Fabio Massimo Castaldo MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights, added: “The United Nations have shown their clear commitment to universal and indivisible human rights, including for LGBT people.”

“Today the elected representatives of 500 million citizens aligned themselves with this commitment, raising their voice against violence and discrimination of LGBTI people anywhere in the world, and calling for full equality.”

 

Article originally published by the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights

Read more:

• Read the full resolution (particularly paragraphs 45  and 46)
• Read earlier posts on anti-propaganda laws

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 global sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as to eradicate poverty, take urgent action on climate change, and promote health and gender equality for global cooperation over the next 15 years.

The SDGs take a multi-sectoral approach to development. Access to safe abortion care can be linked to several 2030 targets within the SDGs such as universal sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality and the SDGs around poverty, education, inequality, economic growth and justice.

However, in a joint statement issued last week, UN and regional human rights experts expressed deep regret that the SDGs do not go far enough. These experts—rapporteurs on specific human rights issues of the UN Human Rights Council, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights—joined together for the first time in making the statement. They stated that criminalization of abortion is discriminatory and called on governments to “remove punitive measures for women who undergo abortion, and at the very minimum, legalize abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, and where the continued pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health of the woman or the life of the woman.”

The experts emphasize that sexual and reproductive health and rights are based on universally accepted human rights standards, as codified in international and regional treaties, as well as in international political consensus documents.

“The SDGs are just a starting point,” says Patty Skuster, Senior Policy Advisor at Ipas. “The experts’ statement reinforces that access to safe abortion is an established human right and an international development priority.”
For more information, contact media@ipas.org

 

Article originally published on Ipas website