What’s up?

• Norway will be delivering a short oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council recognizing human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Norway is seeking to deliver the statement on behalf of as many States from different regions as possible.
• The statement deals with the most severe human rights abuses, such as violence, torture and death, directed against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
• The statement will be delivered next Friday, December 1, 2006. Many States have already expressed their support. With your help, we would like to encourage as many countries as possible to join the statement, making it the largest-ever UN statement addressing human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

What can I do?

• If you think your country might be supportive, it is urgent to contact them and encourage them to join the statement;
• If your country has already expressed its support, you might consider sending them a note of thanks.
• There is no need to contact your government if you know they will be unsupportive or hostile – in fact, it may trigger a backlash.

The main States which have already joined, or might consider joining, the statement are:

• Western Group:Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the European Union have expressed their support for the statement. The USA may support the statement with sufficient international support and domestic encouragement – it is important to emphasize that the statement deals only with issues of violence and severe human rights abuses. Turkey joined an EU statement which included positive references to sexual orientation at the last Human Rights Council, and should be encouraged to join the EU countries in supporting the Norwegian statement at well.
• Central and Eastern Europe: Non-EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe should be encouraged to join the statement, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Ukraine.
• Latin America:Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic have already expressed their support. Other Latin American States that have been supportive in the past, and can be encouraged to join include: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, as well as any others you feel may be supportive.
• Africa: the main State we hope may join the statement is South Africa, which includes sexual orientation in its Constitution, and recently enacted civil union legislation.
• Asia:South Korea has expressed its support. It is worth encouraging other Asian States, particularly Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and India to join as well.

How do I contact my government?

• The most important contact is your government’s Foreign Ministry. Contact details for the Foreign Ministry of each country can be found at: http://www.ssrc.org/gsc/datasphere/ministries.htm
• It is also useful to copy any message to your country’s Ambassador in Geneva. Contact details for the Geneva missions of each State can be found at:

http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600582E34/(httpPages)/8CEC446B720477DA80256EF8004CB68C?OpenDocument&expand=1&count=10000#1

What do I tell them?

• Send your Foreign Ministry a copy of the Norwegian statement and backgrounder (attached).
• Thank them for any past support they have demonstrated for sexual orientation and gender identity issues and emphasize that this is a very simple, basic statement focused on extreme human rights violations such as torture, killing and death.
• Underline that the statement creates no new rights, but simply seeks the application of basic human rights standards to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
• Point out that the statement is already attracting broad support cross-regionally, encourage them to join the statement, and ask for a specific response to your request.

Questions or further information?

Please keep us informed of your country’s response. You may contact us at:

John Fisher
Co-Director, ARC International
+41-79-508-3968
john@arc-international.net

Thanks for your help with this important human rights initiative!