Stockholm, 14 December 2012
Ban Ki-moon to the ILGA Conference:
“The United Nationsan international organisation comprising 193 member States. It has the mission of maintaining peace and security, protecting human rights, providing humanitarian aid and ensuring economic and social development across the globe. It is a network of many different bodies and agencies, each of which has a particular role and responsibility. More stands with you”
“LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. More people are born free and equal and are entitled to the same rights as everyone else”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sent a message to the ILGA world conference in Stockholm, where about than 450 delegates of LGBTI organisations of more than 100 countries are meeting from December 12 to 16.
After reminding everyone that the first Article of the Human Rights Declaration states “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” and that indeed all human beings means not some, not most, but all, the UN Secretary General added that “No one gets to decide who is entitled to human rights, and who is not.”.
“I am profoundly concerned about the persistence of homophobia” continued Ban Ki-moon, and by the fact that “Rather than challenging prejudice, too many Governments yield to it”.
“Those who are LGBT and intersexan umbrella term for the spectrum of variations of sex characteristics that naturally occur within the human species. Intersex people are born with variations of sex characteristics (such as genitals, reproductive organs, hormonal and chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies. Up to 1.7% of the global population are born with such traits; yet, because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatised and subject to harmful practices – including in medical settings - and discriminated against. More are entitled to the same rights as everyone else. They too were born free and equal,” who then added, however, that “despite serious problems, there are grounds for hope” referring to “measures introduced by many governments to tackle hate crimeoffences that are motivated by hate or bias against a particular group of people. This could be based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or sex characteristics amongst others. More, sensitize State officials and provide legal recourse to victims,” and to the “shifts in social attitudes in many parts of the world.”
“Your role as human rights defenders is more important than ever – wrote Ban Ki-moon to the delegates of the ILGA conference – the United Nations stands with you as you highlight ongoing abuses, dispel prejudice and insist on nothing short of freedom and equality for all.”
The message was read to the conference by Charles Radcliffe, Chief of Global Issues at the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, at the opening of a panel on developments at the United Nations on LGBTI issues, where Mr Radcliffe featured along Tamara Adrian, transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. More activist in Venezuela, Beto de Jesus, gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves. More activist in Brazil, Yuli Rustinawati an activist from Indonesia, moderated by professor Robert Wintemute of King’s College, London.
Gloria Careaga and Renato Sabbadini, ILGA’s co-Secretaries General said: “The message by His Excellency Ban Ki-moon fills us both with pride and gratitude – it is indeed a sign that times are changing and that the efforts and sacrifices of thousands of LGBTI activists around the world in the last three decades have managed to change the way in which the UN deals with LGBTI issues, but it is also a testament of the courage and personal engagement of the first UN Secretary General ever to tackle LGBTI issues so firmly and so openly: indeed Ban Ki-moon is fully aware that equality is true equality only if it applies to all and that no exemption to this principle can be defended in any credible manner.”
ENDS
Read here the whole message from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, delivered at ILGA XXVI World Conference by Mr. Charles Radcliffe, Chief of Global Issues, Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.