2011
ILGA-Europe's 15th Anniversary...
In 2011, ILGA-Europe celebrated its 15th Anniversary, and embarked on a new project“Rainbow Europe: ILGA-Europe Annual Report on the Situation for LGBTI People in Europe.” The aim is to publish a first annual report on the situation for LGBTI people across Europe covering the year of 2011 in the start of 2012.
In January, ILGA-Europe made a contribution to the consultation on the EU strategy for combating violence against women 2011-2015: 'Concrete proposals towards the Action Programme'. Moreover ILGA-Europe published a policy paper on the recast of the EU legislation on asylum.
On 19 January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging Lithuanian Parliament to reject proposed amendments to the country’s Code of Administrative Offences introducing an offence of ‘promotion of homosexual relations’. ILGA-Europe welcomed the resolution as a strong message to EU member states, and hoped that all EU institutions would act accordingly to the European Parliament.
From 24 until 27 January ILGA-Europe organised a study visit to the Council of Europe for 6 LGBT human rights defenders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia who are partners in Step Up! project.
In February, ILGA-Europe contributed to the Stakeholder consultation on possible EU measures in the area of paternity leave.
On 7 and 8 February over 150 participants gathered in Chisinau, Moldova to conclude the five year PRECIS project of COC-Netherlands, GenderDoc-M and ILGA-Europe and LGBT organisations from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Ukraine.
In March, ILGA-Europe published a policy paper with its position on the Victims’ Rights Package from the European Commission. Also in March, ILGA-Europe announced that it has become an associated partner of the project “Facing Fact!”, together with the Dutch member organisation COC Netherlands and other NGOs. “Facing Fact!” is a two-year project coordinated by CEJI - A Jewish contribution to an Inclusive Europe.
On 16 March the European Commission launched a communication proposing two regulations dealing with property rights for bi-national married and registered couples. ILGA-Europe welcomed in a statement this important initiative by the European Commission, but was also concerned with the fact that the proposal comes in the form of two separate regulations – one for married couples, and the other for couples in registered partnerships.
On 22 March, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva delivered a Joint Statement that called on States to end violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and urged the Human Rights Council to address these important human rights issues. This statement was delivered on behalf of a broad grouping of 85 States from all regions of the world.
On 29-30 March ILGA-Europe conducted a training on Human Rights Violations Documentation and Advocacy with the representatives from Juventas and LGBT Forum Progress, the two organisations working on LGBT issues in Montenegro.
In April, ILGA-Europe contributed to the Green Paper on Less bureaucracy for citizens: Promoting free movement of public documents and recognition of the effects of civil documents from the European Commission.
On 7 April, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe announced that it adopted a new convention to protect women from violence on 6 April 2011. ILGA-Europe regards this as a major step forward in the fight against gender-based violence and towards full protection of women across Europe from both domestic violence and in other circumstances such as violence in public places, forced marriage, rape, ‘honour’ crimes and genital mutilation.
On 8 April, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe replied to the Parliamentary Assembly regarding the groundbreaking resolution from April 2010. ILGA-Europe considered the response disappointing.
In May, there were two changes in the ILGA-Europe team: Sophie Aujean joins as Policy & Programmes Officer, and Beth Fernandez leaves the position as Senior Programmes & Policy Officer.
On 10 May 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its judgement in the case of Jürgen Römer v Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg which dealt with the issue of whether lower supplementary retirement pension for registered same-sex partners compared to married partners constituted unequal treatment. The CJEU ruled that registered same-sex partners must be treated equally to married partners and such pension fall under the meaning of ‘pay’ within the EU Employment Framework Directive (Dir 2000/78/EC).
On 17 May, the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), Viviane Reding, the Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, met with ILGA-Europe’s secretariat and representatives of ILGA-Europe memberships and LGBTI communities. Also on the IDAHO day, ILGA-Europe launched the video “Legal jungle: same-sex families trapped between EU countries” and an updated version of its Rainbow Europe Map and Index. Finally in connection with IDAHO, ILGA-Europe hosted between 10 and 20 May its Different Families, Same Love exhibition in the main building of the European Commission in Brussels, the Berlaymont.
On 10-14 May, ILGA-Europe organiseda study visit to EU institutions and a training on Strategic Litigationsfor 9 LGBT human rights defenders from the Western Balkans and Turkey.
On 18 May, the European Commission proposed a package of legislative measures to strengthen victims’ rights in the European Union including a proposal for a new directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime which would improve the existing Framework Decision on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings (2001.220/JHA). ILGA-Europe warmly welcomes this initiative by the European Commission.
In June, ILGA-Europe and Transgender Europe published a report on gender discrimination in employment and access to goods and services. Moreover ILGA-Europe together with the European Women’s Lobby and Amnesty International’s End Female Genital Mutilation European Campaign issued recommendations for the European Asylum Support Office for the integration of a gender perspective into their work.
On 17 June, the United Nations' Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity - first of its kind.
On 23 June, the Council of Europe launched its social-legal report on discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. This is the first ever report covering all 47 member states of the Council of Europe on a range of human rights issues that are pertinent LGBT people.
In July, ILGA-Europe issues the second of its policy papers on the recast of the EU asylum Procedure and Reception Directives.
Between 3-5 September, the first International Intersex Organising Forum took place in Brussels. ILGA-Europe together with ILGA World organised and sponsored the event.
In October, ILGA-Europe published two new publications on tackling hate crimes and violence against LGBTI people.
On 27 October, the European Parliament adopted a revised version of the asylum directive on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection and the content of the protection granted. This directive recognises gender identity for the first time as grounds on which individuals can claim asylum in the EU.
On 2-6 October ILGA-Europe organised a study visit for 10 activists from the Western Balkans and Russia to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH) - the leading LGBT organisation in Poland. The study visit was organised within the framework Step Up! project and Russian EIDHR project.
On 27-30 October, the Annual Conference 2011took place in Turin, and was organised in cooperation with the Organising Committee of the 15th ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference. During the Annual Conference, representatives of ILGA-Europe membership also elected new members to the Executive Board. Five new members elected for a two-year mandate are:
- Louise Ashworth (UK)
- Martin K.I. Christensen (Denmark)
- Paulo Côrte-Real (Portugal)
- Sanja Juras (Croatia)
- Tanja Lehtoranta (Finlad)
Björn van Roozendaal (The Netherlands) was elected as a reserve Board member.
The other five members of the ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board for the next year are:
- Gabriella Calleja (Malta)
- Gregory Czarnecki (Poland)
- Linda Freimane (Latvia)
- Kristian Randjelovič (Serbia)
- Pierre Serne (France).
During the first meeting on 30 October 2011, the Executive Board elected Gabriella Calleja and Martin K.I. Christensen as Co-Chairs of the Executive Board. The Conference also approved Zagreb, Croatia, as the host city for the ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference in 2013.
On 20 November, ILGA Europe facilitated a one-day training session on litigation in the field of discrimination against same-sex families in Strasbourg. The session was in held in association with NELFA, the Network of European LGBT Families Associations.
On 8 and 9 December, the closing conference of the ILGA-Europe project ‘Working with the police and challenging hate crimes in Europe 2008-2011’ took place in The Hague, The Netherlands.
On 10 December, ILGA-Europe facilitated a one-day training session on litigation in the field of the rights of trans people in Brussels. The session was held in association with Transgender Europe.
ILGA-Europe's 15th Anniversary
ILGA-Europe 1996-2011...15 years of working for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in Europe.
