Council of Europe Assembly backs ban on conversion practices

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted a landmark resolution calling on states to ban conversion practices, support survivors and tackle misinformation, following a debate marked by organised opposition targeting trans inclusion.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution calling for a ban on conversion practices across its member states, setting out clear actions governments should take to end practices that attempt to change, suppress or repress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

The resolution urges states to introduce legislative bans covering all forms of conversion practices, ensure that survivor support services are properly trained and resourced, establish monitoring mechanisms and data collection on prevalence, and engage in public awareness-raising about LGBTI people and the harm these practices cause.

While the resolution is non-binding, it establishes an international human rights standard and provides detailed guidance for national authorities. Responsibility now shifts to governments to translate the Assembly’s recommendations into law and policy.

The debate and vote took place against a backdrop of significant pressure from organised anti-trans groups. The Assembly’s rapporteur, UK Labour MP Kate Osbourne, faced sustained efforts to remove references to gender identity and trans people from the text. Tens of thousands of auto-generated emails containing anti-trans misinformation were sent to PACE members across the region, and elements of that rhetoric surfaced during the chamber debate.

Despite this, a coordinated cross-party effort within the Assembly ensured that the resolution retained inclusive language and a clear focus on protecting all LGBTI people. The text was adopted by more than a two-thirds majority, with 71 members voting in favour, 26 against and two abstentions.

By passing the resolution, the Assembly sent an unambiguous message that conversion practices are incompatible with human rights and democratic values. The outcome underscores growing recognition within European institutions of the need to address both the direct harms of conversion practices and the wider climate of misinformation and hostility that enables them.

The Assembly has now called on member states to act swiftly, arguing that ending conversion practices requires not only legal bans, but sustained political will, properly funded services for survivors, and public education to prevent further harm.