UN Committee against Torture reprimands Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong and China

The UN Committee against Torture published its binding "Concluding Observations" on the CAT 56th Session Homepage. As intersex human rights defenders testifying in Geneva to the lifelong consequences of intersex genital mutilation (IGM) practices had hoped for, the Committee issued strong recommendations on intersex and IGM practices for Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong and China, typically urging states to:

• Take the necessary legislative, administrative and other measures to guarantee the respect for the physical integrity and autonomy of intersex persons and ensure that no one is subjected during infancy or childhood to unnecessary medical or surgical procedures;
• Guarantee counselling services for all intersex children and their parents, so as to inform them of the consequences of unnecessary surgery and other medical treatment;
• Ensure that full, free and informed consent is respected in connection with medical and surgical treatments for intersex persons and that non-urgent, irreversible medical interventions are postponed until a child is sufficiently mature to  participate in decision-making and give full, free and informed consent;
• Provide adequate redress for the physical and psychological suffering caused by such practices to intersex persons. Read more via Stop Genital Mutilation  

UN highlights economic cost of anti-LGBT discrimination

The United Nations’ Free and Equal campaign has exposed just how much LGBTI exclusion really costs. 

The video, narrated by openly gay actor Zachary Quinto, highlights the cost of discrimination against LGBTI people and recognises the importance of new laws and effective public education and training. It cites, among other things, a World Bank study that concludes discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity could cost an economy the size of India’s $32 billion a year.
“The cost of homophobia and transphobia is simply colossal,” says Quinto in the video.

Charles Radcliffe, a senior human rights advisor for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, debuted the video, noting: “Discrimination hurts people. It hurts companies. It hurts entire countries.”

James Heintz, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said that anti-LGBT discrimination lowers productivity and increases health care costs because of higher rates of stress, depression and suicide among affected groups: “There’s an intrinsic value to respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of all people, including those in the LGBT community, regardless of the economic cost."  Read more via Washington Blade

UN: Watch Free & Equal The Price of Exclusion

Rates of poverty, homelessness, depression and suicide have been found to be far higher among LGBT people than in the general population. But it’s not just LGBT people who pay the price. We all do. Every LGBT child thrown out of home and forced to miss out on education is a loss for society. Every LGBT worker denied their rights is a lost opportunity to build a fairer and more productive economy.

These losses are entirely self-inflicted. With different laws and policies in place and a different mind-set, we could and would achieve a more free and equal world – that is more prosperous too! For more info visit

Papua New Guinea: UN recognises local journalists

The UN Women’s Awards is a joint initiative by UN Women and UNAIDS to recognise journalists who write stories on human rights. The UN Women office in Papua New Guinea has recognized several journalists with the award.

Journalist, Deborah Pranis was acknowledged on a documentary she compiled on Sorcery killings in the Highlands. Florence Jonduo was recognised for her story on transgender issues male sex workers encounter on a daily basis.  And Abraham Avidiba, a Lae-based journalist, took out the third award for a news piece he wrote on a male sex worker.

The recognising of journalism work in PNG, unlike other professions, is rare. These awards are predicted to boost journalists’ morale and encourage them to continue to report on HIV & Gender Based Violence issues within Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.  Read more via EMTV 

On Human Rights Anniversary, LGBT Groups Shift Strategies at UN

December 10 is human rights day, the 67th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, the focus of the presentations will shift to include not just human rights but also economic development. This shift, from human rights to economic and human development, represents a larger expansion in the strategy of the global LGBT movement which we will see played out in the years to come.

Until recently, LGBT groups have not focused on seeking inclusion in human and economic development programs. This has not been an oversight but rather a strategic choice. Fifteen years ago, a small number of LGBT activists were earnestly seeking recognition at the United Nations. Though certainly the battles are not over, the LGBT movement has been successful in assuring that LGBT issues are part of the human rights discussion. 

This same advancement has not happened in the sphere of human and economic development. The new set of global development goals adopted this year by the UN do not recognize LGBT people at all. These goals will guide trillions of dollars of international aid. The systems that are used to measure progress toward these goals --- a multitude of surveys and measurements of everything from health, education to domestic violence and agriculture -- do not track any data about LGBT people. In most countries in the world we know nothing to very little about the the lifespan, economic status, or educational attainment of LGBT people.  

Read more via Huffington Post
 

UNDP: When people are counted, no one is left behind

LGBTI economic, political and social exclusion remains pervasive, resulting in a lack of access to things like adequate education and health services. If LGBTI people continue to face exclusion, the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain out of our reach. We must quickly sort out what it will take to ensure LGBTI inclusion. 

UNDP’s work includes a focus on providing the data and analysis that informs sustainable development. It is development data and its analysis that can lead to policy and program changes necessary to underpin sustainable development and prioritize  investments. But in most places, data and analysis specific to LGBTI people is drastically lacking, allowing the challenges faced by them to remain invisible.  UNDP is trying to change that with an initiative to address the data gaps and a new UNDP LGBTI Inclusion Index.

Measuring inclusion is not new to UNDP. We have long measured human development with the Human Development Index (HDI), and the more recently added Gender Inequality Index (GII). These indices help gauge how far countries have progressed in ensuring a long and healthy life, education, and a decent standard of living for all (HDI) and access to reproductive health, empowerment, and comparable economic status for women (GII). Read more via UNDP

Remembering World AIDS Day 2015

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé marked World AIDS Day in Zimbabwe with civil society members, people living with HIV, and other participants of the Community Village of the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa.

Speaking at the opening of the village, Sidibé noted: “Key populations are helping us to break the conspiracy of silence. I commend your courage and leadership for building an inclusive and effective response to HIV.”

Visit the UNAIDS World AIDS Day 2015 website for powerful educational graphics, social media messages, and campaign material. We have what it takes to break the AIDS epidemic. Read more via UNAIDS 

UNAIDS to join Uganda's Anti Gay Law challenge as amicus curiae

The East African Court of Justice allowing UNAIDS to join the case challenging provisions of Uganda's nullified Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 as violating the good governance and rule of law principles of the East African Treaty (Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) v Attorney General of Uganda, Reference No. 6 of 2014). 

This is the only application that has been allowed by the court in this case, as three others were rejected. This decision demonstrates the confidence many have in UNAIDS human rights works.

UNAIDS has been amicus curiae in several high-profile cases in different parts of the world. Read more

Asia: Global HIV targets ‘could be derailed’ by hook up apps

A new UN report cites the boom in hook-up apps as one of the drivers of a worsening HIV epidemic in Asia. The report found that HIV infections had surged among young people, aged 10-19, in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Analysing data from Thailand, it notes: “Bangkok’s intensifying HIV epidemic among young MSM is largely a result of extensive sexual risk-taking, a higher number of partners, overall increased biological vulnerability through unprotected anal sex with an HIV positive partner, low uptake of HIV testing, and an earlier age of first sex – frequently in the low to mid-teens.

“The explosion of smartphone gay dating apps has expanded the options for casual spontaneous sex as never before – mobile app users in the same vicinity (if not the same street) can locate each other and arrange an immediate sexual encounter with a few screen touches.” Read more via PinkNews 

UNESCO: How can we go ‘From Insult to Inclusion’ for all learners?

The majority of LGBTI youth in Asia-Pacific say they have been subjected to some form of violence or bullying in school. This can take many forms – physical, verbal, psychological or sexual abuse or social exclusion both online and off. The end result remains the same: millions of young learners throughout the Asia-Pacific region are being denied their right to an education.  The impacts can be lifelong and devastating in terms of economic and employment prospects, as well as on a personal level: Asia-Pacific studies show that up to one in three LGBTI learners report depression; up to seven in 10 report harming themselves and nearly five in 10 have attempted suicide.

“From Insult to Inclusion”, the first review of its kind to comprehensively examine these challenges in Asia-Pacific, looks at the broader legal and educational contexts in countries throughout the region related to bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and features the voices of young learners themselves and their personal stories of abuse and exclusion. Concrete steps that education sector planners, teachers, school leaders and communities throughout the region can take to address this situation are also presented.   Read more via UNESCO 

Protecting human rights defenders: UNDP/OHCHR Global LGBTI Inclusion Index

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), UNDP, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights are conducting a survey to include civil society voices to help guide how LGBTI people will be measured in international development. 

While the final text of the SDGs does not mention SOGI, UN agencies consider these populations as being intrinsic to the general population and deserving of the protections afforded in international human rights law. Therefore, UNDP together with OHCHR are developing a Global LGBTI Inclusion Index that will show how well governments are delivering on these goals to LGBTI populations. Read more via ILGA and add your voice