All 47 Counsil of Europe countries unanimously agree on historic human rights recommendations for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

On March 31, 2010 the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing the national governments of its 47 Member States, unanimously adopted historic Recommendations on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. This is the world’s first intergovernmental agreement codifying the application of human rights standards to LGBT people.

The Recommendations establish how international human rights standards should be applied to LGBT people and contain specific measures for Member States on how they should improve their legislation, policies and practices to address discrimination against LGBT people in such areas as

- hate crime and hate speech;
- freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly;
- right to respect for private and family life;
- employment;
- education;
- health;
- housing;
- sports;
- right to seek asylum.

Additionally, the Recommendations prescribe that Member States should ensure that national human rights structures are clearly mandated to address discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. They also encourage Member States to address multiple discrimination experienced by LGBT people.

ILGA-Europe’s only regret is that the Member States did not go as far as we hoped for in some areas, particularly family rights.

Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, said:
“This is a truly historical development! For the first time in history the European continent came together to codify human rights’ applications to LGBT people. As we celebrate this landmark in European human rights history, we also hope that these Recommendations will help to advance the human rights for LGBT people beyond Europe. ”

Linda Freimane, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, added:
“These Recommendations go well beyond the current situation in many European countries for LGBT people and will surely serve as a blueprint for our members in working with their national governments. We will also follow closely the three year review mechanism agreed by the Committee of Ministers to ensure the full implementation. Finally, we encourage the Council of Europe to organise a campaign among its Member States to promote these Recommendations.”

The Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the Member States, or their permanent diplomatic representatives in Strasbourg.

The full text of the Recommendations is available on the Committee of Minister’s website.

sources: ILGA-Europe
Unzipped: Gay Armenia

ILGA-Europe: Paata Sabelashvili is free, Georgian police still keeps under surveillance the Inclusive Foundation office and its staff

MEDIA RELEASE

26 December 2009

For immediate release

Paata Sabelashvili is free, Georgian police still keeps under surveillance the Inclusive Foundation office and its staff

Paata Sabelashvili, board member of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board and a leader of the Inclusive Foundation in Georgia, has been released and is now recovering after nearly two weeks detention.

Nevertheless ILGA-Europe is concerned with the continuous surveillance of the Inclusive Foundation office by Georgian police, including tapping the telephone conversations of the Inclusive Foundations staff.

Linda Freimane, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board said:
“We are relieved and happy Paata is free and well. We want to thank all organisations and individuals across the world who supported Paata and campaigned for his release.”

Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chairs of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Boards, said:
“There are a few questions still to be answered by the Georgian authorities. We are concerned that the raid on the office of the Inclusive Foundation which took place on 15 December 2009 was disproportionate and humiliating. We are very concerned with the way the police forces treated the staff of the Inclusive Foundation and with the damage they cause to the office. The other worry is that Georgian police still monitors the office and that other leaders of the Inclusive Foundation, Tinatin Japaridze and Eka Agdgomelashvili, continue to be under police surveillance. We call on the Georgian authorities to immediately end intimidation and any surveillance of the Inclusive Foundation office and its staff.”

ILGA-Europe

Armenian human rights activist Lilit Poghosyan is chosen as the face for the EU anti-discrimination poster

Do you know your rights?

53% of Europeans don’t know they’re protected from discrimination in the workplace. [Eurobarometer survey on discrimination in the European Union – Perceptions, experiences and attitudes (July 2008)]

Laws exist throughout the EU to protect everyone against discrimination based on race or ethnic origin, age, disability, religion or belief, or sexual orientation in the workplace.

*This poster has been produced as part of the EU-wide “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” information campaign. Organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the campaign aims to raise awareness of discrimination and the EU laws which exist to combat it, and to promote the benefits of diversity.

What is even more pleasing for me regarding this poster is that Lilit Poghosyan is a good friend of mine. Well done, Lilit jan! I am proud of you and of being your friend.

Lilit joined Europe’s main gay rights group - ILGA-Europe (as Programmes & Policy Officer) in October 2008.

Lilit is responsible for the Advocacy Project which aims to strengthen the advocacy capacities and competences of project partners. She also monitors the developments in the field of human rights of LGBT people in Western Balkans and Turkey and channels the information on human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity to relevant EU institutions in order to ensure that LGBT people enjoy equal rights and protection in candidate and potential candidate countries for the accession to the EU.

Lilit holds a degree in Psychology and Education and has completed her MSc in Human Rights at London School of Economics in 2005. She has eight years work experience in field of sexual, reproductive and mental health of which around six years in Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) field projects in Armenia, Kashmir/Pakistan, Zambia and Uganda.

source: Unzipped: GayArmenia