Commissioner for Human Rights’ Post

Over the past few years, polarization in Peruvian politics has paved the way for an authoritarian regression in government. This context underscores the importance of empowering LGBTQI+ people to participate actively in the political process and supporting figures like Susel Paredes, who stand as beacons for democracy and LGBTQI+ rights in Peru. On this post on LGBTQ+ Victory Institute's blog i reflect on how strategies to undermine democracy are being tested in the Peruvian political field, and how this directly affect LGBTQI rights. https://lnkd.in/g7ekDWuB

Living free from discrimination is a fundamental human right. Queer rights are human rights, and when basic freedoms are denied, everyone suffers. Across Eastern Europe, these rights are being systematically eroded. The violations of human rights in our region are unmistakable: 🇬🇪In Georgia, freedom of speech and assembly—key pillars of any democratic society—are under threat, with peaceful gatherings often met with violence and intimidation. We witness every day massive violation of fundamental rights and backsliding of democracy and establishment of authoritarian regime 🇺🇦In Ukraine, Russia’s war crimes represent a profound violation of human rights, with civilians bearing the brunt of atrocities in a brutal, unjust war. 🇵🇱In Poland, a highly restrictive abortion law strips individuals of their bodily autonomy, denying them the ability to make critical decisions about their own lives and futures. 🇷🇺And, of course, in Russia and Belarus, authoritarian regimes relentlessly suppress fundamental rights, from freedom of speech to the right to live without fear—a grim reality that has become synonymous with these regimes. These are not isolated events; they are part of a broader pattern of disregard for human dignity and fundamental freedoms in Eastern Europe. We at the Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality believe in the universality of human rights. LGBT rights are human rights, and the fight for justice will not end until every person in our region can live free, safe, and equal. #standupforhumanrights

✨Today, our Anti-Racism Focal Point, Gowinda Ama A., joined the 45th celebration of CEDAW in Berlin, Germany. 🥳 The celebratory event was organized by the CEDAW-Allianz Deutschland and included programming on the legal-institutional framework of the Convention as well as its implementation in Germany. Here are Ama’s main take-aways from the event: 🎙 “As we celebrate 45 years of CEDAW, there are remaining gaps to address: ▪️Germany’s implementation of CEDAW often overlooks the needs of women, girl, LGBTQIA+, and gender diverse migrants. This not only renders existing measures ineffective, but also creates unsafe conditions for those left behind. ▪️The incomplete implementation of CEDAW constitutes a breach of international law. Discrimination must be prevented, mitigated, and actively responded to. ▪️An intersectional approach to the Convention’s implementation is needed across institutional levels; and most importantly, this must include the meaningful participation of those affected.” ℹ️ Learn more about our take on Germany’s implementation of CEDAW and its lack of migrant-inclusion in our parallel report for last year’s review session: https://lnkd.in/gDRxgUJr #migration #gender #justice #CEDAW #law

🏳️🌈Internationally, the Netherlands promotes equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons in various ways by: ☝️working with other countries in the Equal Rights Coalition (an international coalition that promotes equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons); 🙌ensuring equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons is a top priority at international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE), the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU); 👏entering into strategic partnerships with organisations that support local LGBTIQ+ organisations; maintaining contact with local LGBTIQ+ organisations through the embassy network and supporting them in various ways; 🤝funding projects that promote equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons through the Human Rights Fund. For an up-to-date overview of projects see the Human Rights Report which is submitted to parliament each year; 🫶marking the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) on 17 May each year. On that day many embassies draw attention to the importance of equal rights for LGBTIQ+ people. #humanrights #pridemonth #equality #LGBTQIA

Georgia’s path to EU membership is at a standstill as its democratic values continue to decline.   In a resolution adopted earlier this week, Parliament voiced serious concerns about Georgia’s democratic backsliding, warning that the country’s EU integration is effectively on hold.   Despite Georgia being granted EU candidate status in December 2023, MEPs condemn the ruling Dream party’s authoritarian agenda, including restrictions on media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as growing anti-EU rhetoric.   The resolution calls for an investigation into police brutality and personal sanctions against those undermining democracy, including former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. MEPs stress that the upcoming parliamentary elections on 26 October will be crucial for Georgia’s democratic future and EU aspirations, and urge the Georgian authorities to ensure that the upcoming parliamentary elections respect the will and free choice of their people. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eaPUZXdu

📰 Georgia’s democratic backsliding and the need for media support As the European Parliament expresses deep concern over Georgia's democratic backsliding, including restrictions on media freedom, it's clear that independent journalism is crucial to safeguarding democratic processes, especially with the upcoming parliamentary elections. Democracy relies on accurate journalism, but there are too few Eastern European journalists in Brussels, affecting how these countries and the EU are portrayed. To help address this gap, Europe MédiaLab is launching a program to increase the number of permanent Eastern European correspondents in Brussels. By providing housing near EU institutions for six months, la Maison du MédiaLab will help journalists integrate and potentially become permanent correspondents. Our goal is to establish 40 new permanent correspondents from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in the next EU term. Supported by the European Parliament and Commission presidencies, and backed by private donors, Maison du MediaLab will officially launch in January with an event for supporters, journalists, and top EU officials. This will be followed by a conference to further strengthen the program and build stronger ties between Eastern European media and EU institutions. 👉 Learn more about the project here: https://bit.ly/4eblDrd #MaisonDuMediaLab #MediaFreedom #JournalismMatters #EasternEurope #Democracy #EUIntegration #SupportJournalism Christophe Leclercq Sharon Leclercq-Spooner David Mekkaoui Aliaksandr Babiy Thierry Leroy Promote Ukraine Promote Georgia European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) Vsevolod Chentsov Vato Makharoblishvili Daniela Morari Tigran Balayan

Powerful intervention today at the European Parliament during the EU Girls week by Viktoria, youth advocate from Bulgaria: "EU’s values should be Bulgaria’s values, Hungary’s values, and Poland’s values as much as they are Belgium’s values, Sweden’s values, and Finland’s values. As a young advocate I count on MEPs to defend those values and strengthen mechanisms to ensure Member States comply with the rule of law, fundamental rights, and civic space. EU institutions should closely monitor and counter the rising anti-gender, and anti-choice backlash and discrimination, and to not fund any anti-gender and anti-choice actors. Because defending human rights is not an option or an opinion, it is a necessity." #EU4Girls

Please read this important message from Outright International and our Executive Director Maria Sjödin on the results of the recent US election: "The outcome of the U.S. election has raised deep concerns for many who care about fundamental human rights and freedoms for LGBTIQ people around the world. Outright International emphasizes that rising nationalism, authoritarianism, calls to withdraw from multilateral institutions, and attacks on gender equality threaten the global progress made toward justice, inclusion, and equality for LGBTIQ communities. We also know that hostile or exclusionary policies in one region embolden similar tactics in other parts of the world. These policies risk undermining years of progress—eroding basic human rights and using marginalized communities as political scapegoats. Outright International calls on the incoming U.S. government to uphold its commitment to human rights and reject discriminatory policies that threaten the dignity and rights of LGBTIQ communities both domestically and globally. [In addition], we call for global solidarity to stand against discriminatory forces and safeguard the hard-won achievements of LGBTIQ communities." Read our full statement at:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Minister of Culture of Slovak Republic, member of government of a European Union country in 21st century. I cannot appreciate enough Slovak Media Monitor initiative for bringing the reality of Slovakia´s crumbling democracy and rule of law closer to the international community. For the past 2,5 years in advocacy for LGBTIQ+ rights it was a struggle for me and my colleagues to ring the alarm on European and global platforms and wake up the international community to a simple but increasingly worrying fact: Slovakia has joined the club of illiberal democracies of EU. In fact it has uniquely excelled when it comes to human rights and gender equality suppression, far beyond Orban´s Hungary or Poland, which has now, hopefully, begun to change its course. However, don´t be fooled, human rights oppression is not only about strongmen politicians like Fico and (his) social-democrat parties turned far-right populist on the verge of fascism. What you see in this video are general opinions of most of political spectrum in Slovakia, including conservative centre-right parties, which were unsuccessfully in power in 2020-2023, but also conservative parties in opposition to current Fico government. What is worse and dangerous, such propaganda and brainwashing are also affecting the general population. Slovakia is among EU countries least accepting towards any LGBTIQ+ equality. What we see in recent public opinion polls, is that acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people and their families has decreased in the last ten years. In fact, trans people and their right to self-determination or healthcare have never even been part of public opinion polls. In political, media and public rhetoric, trans people have for long now been the target of the worst of hate-speech and attacks against their very own right to life and existence. Reality check: This type of rhetoric has been increasingly normalized in Slovakia even after the terrorist attack that killed two queer people at a gay bar in October 2022. The state, and any government in power since, have done nothing to protect queer people from hate-speech and hate crimes. The situation is becoming ever more dangerous and I personally fear another attack against LGBTIQ+ community could be in the making.

🇪🇺 Last week, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as the President of the European Commission. 🌈 Her plans include a renewed LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, crucial for trans rights. 👎🏽 Despite the first strategy's breakthroughs, its weak implementation disappointed us and many other civil society organisations, especially in areas like gender-based violence and the Common EU Asylum System (CEAS). ✋🏽 Key proposals, such as recognising hate crimes against trans people, didn’t make the progress we hoped for. 📣 Looking ahead to the next strategy, we demand clear, measurable goals and better protection for trans people across all areas, from employment to mental health. ✅ Alongside 140 civil society organisations, we've called on EU leaders to prioritise equality and non-discrimination. Read the Joint Statement: https://lnkd.in/d65gg3hw #TransRights #TransRightsAreHumanRights