United Nations
IGLA On-Line Petition to UN Closes Monday
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Time is running out for those wishing to sign an on-line petition on human rights and sexual orientation that is to be presented to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva next week at its 60th session which is being attended by 53 nations.
Organised by the International Lesbian and Gay Association, the petition is support for the “Brazilian Resolution” which was presented to last year’s UNCHR session.
The resolution expresses “deep concern at the occurrence of violations of human rights in the world against persons on the grounds of their sexual orientation” and stresses that the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms should “not be hindered in any way on the grounds of sexual orientation”.
The petition
• Calls upon all States to promote and protect the human rights of all persons regardless of their sexual orientation;
• Notes the attention given to human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation by the special procedures in their reports to the Commission on Human Rights, as well as by the treaty monitoring bodies, and encourages all special procedures of the Commission, within their mandates, to give due attention to the subject;
• Requests
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay due attention
to the violation of human rights on the grounds of sexual orientation;
I further express my support in favour of the inclusion of the term “gender
identity” in addition to the term “sexual orientation” in the resolution, in
order to take into account the numerous human rights violations committed on
the grounds of gender identity.
“The whole thing may seem not to have anything to do with ordinary people but we at ILGA believe there is much each of us can do to have our voice heard in Geneva,” an IGLA spokesman said.
The petition, co-signed by 1000 organisations, will be delivered this Wednesday March 24 by ILGA Co-secretary General Kursad Kahramanoglu to Mike Smith, Chairman of the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human rights.
Stephen Barris, information officer for IGLA, said that more than 40,000 individuals had also signed the petition so far.
The deadline for signing is midnight (UTC) on Monday March 22 – 7pm EST in USA.
Click here to go the IGLA’s petition (it is available in English and six other languages).
20 March, 2004