From the UN

ASPIRE: Guidelines for an LGBT-inclusive COVID-19 response

In recognition of Pride month, the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (IE SOGI), Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, will be launching new guidelines for states to ensure a COVID-19 response free from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Remembering human rights activist Yves Yomb

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Yves Yomb’s journey to becoming an activist began in his home country, in 2006. At the height of a media campaign targeting gay men and other men who have sex with men, Mr Yomb was a founding member of Alternative Cameroun, one of the first human rights organizations in western and central Africa to advocate for tolerance and social inclusion. “We told ourselves that if we didn’t act, no one would,” he once said.

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UNAIDS: Six concrete measures to support women and girls in all their diversity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

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COVID-19 is not only a health issue, just as HIV never was. It impacts on a wide range of human rights, and although it affects all people, it does so unequally. Women and girls in all their diversity are experiencing the greatest impact of the crisis.

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UN experts condemn modern-day racial terror lynchings in US and call for systemic reform and justice

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A group of independent UN rights experts today called on the United States Government to take decisive action to address systemic racism and racial bias in the country’s criminal justice system by launching independent investigations and ensuring accountability in all cases of excessive use of force by police. They also issued a statement regarding the nationwide protests against racial injustice.

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OHCHR: Threshold test on hate speech now available in 32 languages

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A "practical and useful tool" in the fight against incitement to hatred and violence has been translated in 32 languages.

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Guyana: Mobilizing COVID-19 relief for transgender sex workers in Guyana and Suriname

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Twinkle Paule, a transgender activist, migrated from Guyana to the United States of America two years ago. As the COVID-19 crisis deepened, she thought of her “sisters” back home and in neighbouring Suriname. For many of them, sex work is the only option for survival. She knew that the curfew would starve them of an income. And she was worried that some might wind up in trouble with the law if they felt forced to work at night.

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Thailand: “We cannot provide only HIV services while sex workers are hungry”: Thai community organization steps in

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When the Thai government ordered the closure of entertainment venues in the country in March, it didn’t just signal an end to pulsating music and rounds of drinks shared with friends. It also signalled the start of difficult times for an estimated 145 000 sex workers living in Thailand.

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UNAIDS: Impact on Mental Health and Quality of Life in Time of Covid-19 for YKP and YPLHIV

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Using the findings from the rapid response survey, this current blog focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life of young key populations and young people living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific.