Important achievements/events

ILGA-Europe celebrates its 10th anniversary.

ILGA-Europe and COC carry out a joint fact-finding mission to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

ILGA-Europe moves into bigger premises in Brussels and shares office with ILGA World.

ILGA-Europe organises a capacity-building seminar on “International Human Rights Mechanisms and monitoring” in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in April.

ILGA-Europe continues its co-operation with IGLYO on taking stock of current research and data on social exclusion of LGBT youth and supporting advocacy and policy work towards the social inclusion of LGBT youth.

ILGA-Europe is prominently involved in the preparations of the Pride Against Prejudice conference on 30 June as part of EuroPride in London.

ILGA-Europe organises a workshop “Using Data to Advocate for LGBT Health” in Budapest in July.

In July, ILGA-Europe receives the “Zivilcourage” Prize of the Berlin CSD.

Second call for proposals for small projects under the “Human Rights Violations Documentation Fund”, supported by the Sigrid Rausing Trust.

Publications: “Handbook on observations of Pride marches” (June) and “Prides against prejudice. A toolkit for Pride organising in a hostile environment” (September).

Joint reports with IGLYO are published: “Accessing Health: The context and the challenges for LGBT people in Central and Eastern Europe” and “Social exclusion of young LGBT people in Europe” (both published in April).

Staff news: The staff team is consolidated in 2006 but Olivier Collet, one of ILGA-Europe’s first two employees, leaves the organisation after the Sofia conference. Olimpia Ciripoiu-Vonica, new Admionsitrative and Finance Manager joins the team in december. Three stagiaires are supporting the team: Elisa Longobardi (May to November), Marco Perolini (since September) and Tara Casey.

Annual Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria

The conference (theme: “We are Family – Our Families in Europe and the European Family”, 25-29 October) was hosted by Bulgarian Gay Organisation (BGO) Gemini. Almost 200 people have participated in the 10th annual conference.

The conference elected following executive board:

Ruth Baldacchino (Malta Gay Rights Movement, Malta), Martin Christensen (LBL, Denmark, Linda Freimane (Mozaīka, Latvia), Riccardo Gottardi (Arcigay, Italy), Lisette Kampus (Diversity, Estonia & KPH, Poland), Deborah Lambillotte (Holebifederatie, Belgium), ChristineLe Doaré (Centre LGBT de Paris, France), Miha Lobnik (Legebitra, Slovenia), Pierre Serne (Commission LGBT des Verts, France), Tomasz Szypula,(KPH, Poland)

Reserve Board members elected are Jackie Lewis (UNISON, UK) and Vera Cîmpeanu (ACCEPT, Romania).

The conference also confirmed Ruth Baldacchino (Malta Gay Rights Movement, Malta) and Janfrans Van Der Eerden (COC Nedeland, Netherlands) as representatives of ILGA-Europe on the Executive Board of ILGA. Reserve representatives of ILGA-Europe on the Executive Board of ILGA are Jackie Lewis (UNISON, UK) and Søren Andersson (RFSL, Sweden).

Co-chairs: Deborah Lambillotte and Riccardo Gottardi, secrtaries: Martin Christensen and Lisette Kampus, treasure: Pierre Serne.

ILGA-Europe gets consultative status with the United Nation's Economic and Social Counciln December 2006

ILGA-Europe receives significant grant through the Tides Foundation.