UN renews crucial human rights expert mandate on sexual orientation and gender identity

The UN Human Rights Council once again reminds all States of their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of LGBT and gender diverse people.

The Human Rights Council has renewed the mandate of the only human rights expert within the United Nations system that is specifically dedicated to addressing violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans (LGBT) and gender diverse persons.

Following a campaign by 1,259 non-governmental organisations from 157 States and territories, the UN human rights body adopted the resolution by a vote of 29 in favour, with 15 voting against and 3 abstaining. 

Thanks to this vote, the Human Rights Council reaffirmed its commitment to combating discrimination and violence against everyone, reminding all States of their obligations towards people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

The Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) will now be able to continue the work for three more years. The mandate is currently held by South African scholar Graeme Reid.

“The UN Independent Expert on SOGI is not a symbol. It is a lifeline, in courtrooms, refugee camps, homes where silence kills, and histories are erased. With this renewal, the UN has chosen light. Every report brings truth. Every visit bears witness. TGEU is here to amplify trans voices, turning truth into pressure, into policy, into protection. We were never asking to be saved. We were always demanding to be seen. And with this mandate, we are.”

– Ymania Brown, Executive Director, TGEU — Trans Europe and Central Asia

Created in 2016, and renewed in 2019 and 2022, the mandate of the Independent Expert on SOGI has been supported by a growing number of States from all regions. The current resolution to renew the mandate was presented by a Core Group of six Latin American countries – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay- and was co-sponsored by several countries from all regions. 

The Independent Expert is tasked with assessing the implementation of international human rights law, investigating violence and discrimination against LGBT and gender diverse persons, and helping States, UN agencies, other mandates and bodies in the international and regional systems to address them. 

Since the post was established, three successive mandate holders have conducted official visits to 11 countries, produced 17 reports documenting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity – including the impact of the criminalisation of same-sex relations between consenting adults, the need to legally recognise a person’s gender, and the situation of LGBT persons who are forcibly displaced, among others – and sent communications documenting allegations of human rights violations to 171 States across all regions.

Having secured a renewal for three more years, this mandate will now continue to support initiatives ensuring that LGBT and gender diverse people can live free of discrimination in countries around the world, and to amplify their voices and testimonies in international human rights fora. 

Civil society worldwide urges all governments to cooperate fully with the Independent Expert in this important work to bring about a world free from violence and discrimination for everyone.