How will LGBTI human rights and SOGIESC issues be addressed during the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council?

Hear more directly from the ILGA World team in the video, or follow this link to check out the transcription!

Video transcription

Daniele Paletta – Communications Manager, ILGA World 

Hey, folks! Lovely to see you again!
September is here, and this means that the third and final Human Rights Council session of the year is about to start at the United Nations in Geneva.

The 48th session will begin on September 13th, and will continue for the next four weeks.

ILGA World be there for you as always, working with LGBTI activists and the civil society at large to advance support for our communities in this international space.

Julia Ehrt – Director of Programmes, ILGA World

During this session, a resolution on the death penalty will be negotiated at the Human Rights Council. The Council voted to condemn the imposition of the death penalty for consensual same-sex relations between adults in the context of this resolution for the first time in 2017. 

To date, in 11 member states it is still possible to be punished by death because of consensual same-sex conduct: an abhorrent human rights violation.

ILGA World will be following the negotiations to ensure that LGBT issues are addressed in the negotiated text. We will continue to fight until such horrific laws are no longer on the books.

Guillermo Ricalde - UN Programme Intern, ILGA World

Many UN human rights experts will present their latest reports during the session.

We look forward to the interactive dialogues with them, and we'll be addressing the human rights situation of LGBTI older persons, of LGBTI women in conflict and post-conflict context, and of indigenous peoples of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics.

The experiences of LGBTI people from diverse spheres of life are not all the same, and deserve to be heard.

Tofunmi Odugbemi - Communications Intern, ILGA World

We will address how the digital divide is a gender issue, and an intersectional one. 

Many of those who could use the internet to find information about how to best protect their human rights - including women, LGBTI persons, and those living in marginalised communities - are still met with significant barriers to accessing it.  

Gabriel Galil – Senior Programme Officer, ILGA World

Throughout the session, ILGA World will deliver statements and raise attention to the lived realities of LGBTI people worldwide, especially on human rights situations that require urgent attention of the Council.

We'll follow the adoption of UPR outcomes of many states, making sure that considerations around LGBTI issues are not left behind.

Ælien Rubashkyn - Consultant – GIESC Programme, ILGA World

Following last year's historic statement when States called on the Council to urgently protect intersex persons in their bodily autonomy and right to health, ILGA World will also continue working with civil society globally to make sure that discussions around intersex persons' human rights continue to be held at the Council.

Diego Quesada Nicoli - UN Programme Intern, ILGA World 

Throughout the 48th Human Rights Council, ILGA World will be there looking out for our communities, and making sure that our voices are heard.

Follow us on social media for real-time updates, and… see you next time!