UN

Human Rights Council Panel discussion on Sexual orientation and Gender Identity - 7 March 2012 National Human Rights Institutions Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain - Joint NHRI statement Thank you Madame President. I present this joint statement on behalf of the following A status national human rights institutions. Great Britain, Scotland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Canada, Greece, Ecuador, Thailand and France. We welcome the commitment of the Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Procedures, Treaty Bodies, NGOs and Human Rights Defenders worldwide to addressing the issue of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including through the panel session on discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity during this Human Rights Council. We acknowledge the sensitive nature of this issue and support the South African call for an inclusive and cross-regional dialogue on tackling the challenges faced in addressing this on the ground. We welcome the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights detailing its commitment to protecting human rights of all individuals, and reaffirming the principles of universality equality and non-discrimination. We affirm the legal analysis of the report which makes clear that the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity is integrated and reflected into the existing international legal framework that states have committed to respecting. We support the mainstreaming of protections for individuals discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity to the existing international and regional human rights systems. We draw member states attention to the Secretary Generals call for the repeal of laws that criminalize homosexuality and permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We welcome the initiatives taken by NHRIs worldwide to address this issue. Reflecting our responsibility as NHRIs to protect all individuals from human rights violations, where possible and appropriate we will work towards increasing our understanding and capacity in this area to enable us to speak out against discrimination and violations, and welcome the sharing of experiences and best practices in addressing legal social cultural and religious barriers for realizing the rights of LGBTI individuals worldwide. Many thanks.