2007
2007 is European Year of Equal Opportunities for All: which seeks to make people in the European Union more aware of their rights to equal treatment and to a life free of discrimination, which are two of the basic principles underpinning the EU.
ILGA-Europe embarks on year two of the Project PRECIS – Prevention and empowerment in the CIS.
Françoise Barlet joins ILGA-Europe team as Administrative & Finance Officer in February 2007.
On 7 February 2007 ILGA-Europe launched at the European Parliament a Shadow Directive on Equal Treatment of Persons Irrespective of Sexual Orientation which aims at extending protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation to areas outside employment such as social protection, social benefits, education, provisions of goods and services, and housing.
From 5-7 March 2007 ILGA-Europe organised a study visit for its members from Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, FRY Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Romania and Turkey to Brussels to meet with various officials of the European institutions and gain experience of lobbying and advocacy work.
From 18-20 April 2007 ILGA-Europe organised two capacity-building seminars for its members in Sinaia, Romania: one on advanced documenting of human rights violations (in co-operation with HURIDOCS) and another on using video to document Pride marches (in co-operation with Witness).
On 24 April 2007 ILGA-Europe launched a campaign on Freedom of Assembly for LGBT people in Europe inviting mayors of major European cities to sign up to the ILGA-Europe appeal in support of the right to freedom of assembly and expression for LGBT people.
In May 2007 ILGA-Europe prints Russian versions of the two documents Handbook on Observations of Pride Marches and Prides against Prejudice: A toolkit on organizing Pride in a hostile environment.
The second edition of ILGA-Europe’s report Going Beyond the Law: promoting equality in employment (first edition dated 2005) appears in May 2007.
Aija Salo joins ILGA-Europe team as Programmes & Policy Officer in July 2007.
On 4 July 2007 the European Commission launches a public consultation on new anti-discrimination measures. ILGA-Europe, working together with other social NGOs, submits a written response to the consultation in October 2007.
Silvan Agius joins ILGA-Europe team as Policy Officer in August 2007.
ILGA-Europe publishes two new reports in August 2007 Forced Out: LGBT People in Azerbaijan and Forced Out: LGBT People in Georgia.
Equality Mainstreaming fact sheet is published in September 2007.
In October 2007 the ILGA-Europe Newsletter examines LGBT rights at the United Nations and global level.
On 19-20 October over 700 people gather in Lisbon for the closing conference of the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. ILGA-Europe staff and board as well as staff and Board of the Transgender Council of Europe, LGBT representatives from 24 different countries take part in this event, including twenty as part of the official national delegations.
On 25-28 October 2007, almost 200 delegates from all over Europe gather in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius for the 11th ILGA-Europe Annual Conference under the motto “LGBT Rights are Human Rights – Respect, Recognition and Responsibilities”. During the conference the new Executive Board is elected for 2007-2008. The new Board comprises: Pierre Serne (France); Renato Sabbadini (Italy); Lisette Kampus (Estonia); Ruth Baldacchino (Malta); Christine Le Doaré (France); Martin Christensen (Denmark); Deborah Lambillotte (Belgium); Linda Freimane (Latvia); Tomasz Szypuła (Poland); Natasa Sukic (Slovenia); with reserve Board members Paata Sabelashvili (Georgia) and Irmeli Krans (Sweden).
The closing conference of European Year of Equal Opportunities for All takes place in Lisbon on 26 November 2007.
New ILGA-Europe report International Human Rights References to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (regarding LGBT populations and HIV/AIDS and STIs) appears in December 2007.
In December 2007 ILGA-Europe and IGLYO collaborate to produce a written contribution to the consultation on schools: Schools for the 21st Century.
