Posted: 10 December 2008 at 7:30pm | IP Logged

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
signed Dec 10, 1948

Dear Friends:
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration expresses a fundamental political and moral consensus about the value of being human, and the respect and dignity each of us is entitled to receive from our governments.
The Declaration itself is not a binding legal document, but rather a statement of values cherished by most: the rights to liberty and equality for all people; the aspiration of all to live in a world of peace and security; the agreement that torturing and arresting another human being simply because of who they are or what they believe is repulsive, and incompatible with the Declaration's promotion of respect for human dignity as a mandate for all.

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly consisted of 56 countries. When they voted 48-0 to ratify the Universal Declaration (8 abstained), few could have imagined the impact it would have on the lives of sexual minorities around the world. Yet, it has profoundly shaped the context and ability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people and all sexual minorities to make our claims to for freedom.

Recounting all of the progress made by LGBT people over the last 60 years is, fortunately, well beyond a brief call to action. Suffice it to say that 60 years ago, only a handful of identifiable groups that we now categorize as “LGBT” existed – and only one, Centre for Culture and Leisure (COC) from the Netherlands – continues today with its work. Today, thousands of LGBT rights, social and service groups exist to promote and support an increasingly visible global movement. Brazil alone has more than 300 LGBT-focused organizations and grassroots groups.

Collectively we have changed the laws and policies of thousands of national and local governments, held public demonstrations in innumerable cities and towns, and made our mark in some way on nearly all nations of the world. These powerful changes have transcended any one region or continent. And our mark has been made at the United Nations itself, where countries such as Brazil, France, Norway, New Zealand, and others have taken leadership in moving human rights discussions to the realm of sexuality and gender. Slowly, but quite surely, other nations are joining the call for LGBT equality.

And, in November 2006, LGBT people acquired our own foundational document, referred to as the Yogyakarta Principles – a document that compiles the specific rights to which LGBT people are already entitled under international law. The right to be free from arrest and detention simply because of our sexual orientation or gender identity. The right to police protection when we are abused. The right to an education and an educational environment free of homophobia. The right to a job that fits our skills and talents, rather than being cast into stereotypic trades or no job at all. The right to health care and treatment that addresses our unique needs. The right to equality. The right to speak our minds and to object to policies and government decrees that harm us. The right to dignity and respect.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission works day to day with LGBT groups and allies around the world to make the promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality. We know there is still so much to be done, and that the price of our visibility is, predictably, a backlash of violence and oppression.

But we also know and believe in two fundamental realities: First, the world will continue to change, bringing greater respect for our lives and contributions to society. And, second, that no single organization or person can do it alone. We rely on and need collective action and the support of each other.

So today, if you have not already, take another step toward making the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality:
- Send a letter of your support to a group half way around the world.
- Join IGLHRC's action alert list, or the action alert list of another human rights group of your choice, and write those emails and letters to support our community in times of crisis.
- Make a financial contribution to an LGBT group.

In the coming week or so, the French government will submit a statement to the UN General Assembly (now comprising 192 member states) condemning criminalization of homosexuality and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. If your government has signed on to the initiative (look out for an update on the IGLHRC website next week), write to thank them for that support. If they have not (the US has still not signed on), write to demand to know why.

There are many, many other ways to move us all forward. The point is to do more.

And, if we all commit today to take yet another step, there is no doubt that next year – when we commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Declaration and the 3rd anniversary of the Yogykarta Principles, we will see that we have, collectively, brought the world one step closer to freedom and dignity for LGBT people. Of this I am certain.


Paula L. Ettelbrick, Executive Director
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (www.iglhrc.org)

http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/section.php?id=5&detai l=907

Posted: 13 December 2008 at 12:19am | IP Logged

During the Dec 15, 2008 session of the United Nations General Assembly, a joint government statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity will be presented from the podium.
It will be the first time that the General Assembly has formally addressed violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
As of November 2008, 55 countries spanning 4 continents have signed on to the statement and 5 more countries have indicated their willingness to sign on to the statement, which calls for greater attention to human rights violations perpetrated because of a person's sexual orientation and gender identity.

UN General Assembly to Address Gender Identity
By: Human Rights Watch Posted on: 12/12/2008
 
As the world celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on Dec 10, the UN General Assembly will hear a statement in mid-December endorsed by
more than 50 countries across the globe calling for an end to rights
abuses based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

A coalition of international human rights organizations today urged all the world's nations to support the statement in affirmation of the UDHR's basic promise: that human rights apply to everyone.

Nations on four continents are coordinating the statement, including:
Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, France, Gabon, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway. The reading of the statement will be the first time the
General Assembly has formally addressed rights violations based on
sexual orientation and gender identity.

"In 1948 the world's nations set forth the promise of human rights,
but six decades later, the promise is unfulfilled for many," said
Linda Baumann of Namibia, a board member of Pan Africa ILGA, a
coalition of over 60 African lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) groups. "The unprecedented African support for this statement sends a message that abuses against LGBT people are unacceptable anywhere, ever."

The statement is non-binding, and reaffirms existing protections for
human rights in international law. It builds on a previous joint
statement supported by 54 countries, which Norway delivered at the UN Human Rights Council in 2006.

"Universal means universal, and there are no exceptions," said Boris
Dittrich of the Netherlands, advocacy director of Human Rights Watch's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program. "The UN must speak forcefully against violence and prejudice, because there is no room for half measures where human rights are concerned."

The draft statement condemns violence, harassment, discrimination,
exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation
and gender identity. It also condemns killings and executions,
torture, arbitrary arrest, and deprivation of economic, social, and
cultural rights on those grounds.

"Today, dozens of countries still criminalize consensual homosexual
conduct, laws that are often relics of colonial rule," said Grace
Poore of Malaysia, who works with the International Gay and Lesbian
Human Rights Commission. "This statement shows a growing global
consensus that such abusive laws have outlived their time."

The statement also builds on a long record of UN action to defend the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. In its 1994 decision in Toonen v. Australia, the UN Human Rights Committee – the body that interprets the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), one of the UN's core human rights treaties – held that human rights law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Since then, the United Nations' human rights mechanisms have condemned violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including killings, torture, rape, violence, disappearances, and discrimination in many areas of life. UN treaty bodies have called on states to end discrimination in law and policy.

Other international bodies have also opposed violence and
discrimination against LGBT people, including the Council of Europe
and the European Union. In 2008, all 34 member countries of the
Organization of American States unanimously approved a declaration
affirming that human rights protections extend to sexual orientation
and gender identity.

"Latin American governments are helping lead the way as champions of equality and supporters of this statement," said Gloria Careaga Perez of Mexico, co-secretary general of ILGA. "Today a global movement supports the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and those voices will not be denied."

So far, 55 countries have signed onto the General Assembly statement, including: Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chile, Ecuador, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uruguay, and Venezuela. All 27 member states of the European Union are also signatories.

"It is a great achievement that this initiative has made it to the
level of the General Assembly," said Louis-Georges Tin of France,
president of the International Committee for IDAHO (International Day against Homophobia), a network of activists and groups campaigning for decriminalization of homosexual conduct. "It shows our common struggles are successful and should be reinforced."

"This statement has found support from states and civil society in
every region of the world," said Kim Vance of Canada, co-director of
ARC International. "In December a simple message will rise from the
General Assembly: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is truly
universal."
 
The coalition of international human rights organizations that issued
this statement include:
Amnesty International; ARC International; Center for Women's Global
Leadership; COC Netherlands; Global Rights; Human Rights Watch; IDAHO Committee; International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC); International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA); International Service for Human Rights; Pan Africa ILGA; and Public Service International.