US Ambassador and UN office in Armenia in solidarity with LGBT activists amid homophobic hysteria and threats following groundbreaking Rainbow forum

A group of homophobic Putin fans in Armenia announced their plan to stage a protest action on 6 November against US Ambassador’s statement in front of... the EU office in Yerevan. These guys certainly need a geography lesson. Along with many other lessons, of course. Well, at least one of them was recently outed on Facebook as a closeted gay. Some revealing Skype chat screenshots were in circulation in what perhaps the first such exposé in Armenia.

But lets forget about these people, they were mentioned here for entertainment purposes only.

Back to the important matters. Great move and statement by the US ambassador in Armenia. Respects.

[more about groundbreaking Rainbow Armenia Forum: here; more about threats received: here. Unzipped: Gay Armenia will make a separate post on Rainbow Forum.]

*picture - via PINK Armenia

*via US Embassy in Armenia

US Ambassador Meets with PINK NGO Representatives, Expresses Concern about Threats of Violence Issued against Them

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr., visited the offices of the Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) NGO on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

The group briefed the Ambassador on their recent Rainbow Forum, a gathering organized by PINK earlier this month in Lori, which focused on ways to protect the basic human rights of the members of the Armenian LGBT community.

During his visit, PINK representatives described to Ambassador Mills the very real and extreme threats they’ve received since the forum took place, including death threats made against several of its members. The group recently submitted a formal complaint about the threats to the Armenian Prosecutor General.

The U.S. Embassy is deeply troubled by these threats, and condemns in the strongest possible terms such calls for violence. The U.S. Embassy expects the Armenian authorities to fully investigate these threats and protect the basic human rights of the group’s members and all LGBT residents and minority communities in Armenia.

“I have been in Armenia long enough, and spoken to enough Armenians throughout the country, to know that violence and hatred are not part of Armenian society and values.  I urge Armenians to reject these calls to violence.  Those who would espouse such strong hatred of people simply for being different do not adhere to Armenian values as I have seen them,” Ambassador Mills said.
***
And another important statement by UN office in Armenia:

The United Nations in Armenia is concerned about the recent manifestations of aggressive homophobia and threats of violence against LGBTI activists particularly in social media, following a recent meeting held by activists.

The threat of violence against any group cannot be tolerated, and all persons should be allowed freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and not be subject to discrimination and intimidation.

We call upon the authorities to investigate and prosecute incidents of harassment and abuse against the LGBTI community, to discourage all hate speech, and to take measures to foster tolerance.

Through its international obligations Armenia has made laudable commitments to non-discrimination and tolerance, and the respect of human rights, including those of the ethnic, religious and sexual minorities.

The United Nations stands ready to support Armenia in these commitments. See also the recent global call of the UN for an end to violence and discrimination against LGBTI persons.
 ***
More international reaction, this time as a statement of concern by Frontline Defenders human rights group:

LGBTI rights defenders and participants in the first Armenian LGBTI forum have been exposed to ongoing harassment and personal threats since the publication of an article about the forum and its participants on 20 October 2015. […]

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern over the harassment against members of PINK Armenia and other LGBTI forum participants, and the personal death threats they are facing on social media and in person, and believes these acts to be an attempt to prevent LGBTI rights defenders from carrying out their peaceful and legitimate advocacy in defence of human rights.

Armenia ambassador Vahram Kazhoyan joins UN Free & Equal initiative making stance against homophobia

Big respects to Armenia ambassador Vahram Kazhoyan who publicly supported the United Nation’s Free & Equal initiative by taking stance against homophobia.

*picture via Vahram Kazhoyan’s FB page, re-posted on this blog with permission

The message conveyed by the ambassador is simple and powerful, right to the point: “No to homophobia: Hate is not a family value!”.

He posted this picture made at the UN General Assembly on his FB page.

Free & Equal is a United Nations public education initiative for LGBT rights and equality. For more information about the initiative, see www.unfe.org/en/about

Vahram Kazhoyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, is currently heading the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. He is also Secretary General of the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO, and head of the Inter-Agency Working Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. In past (2001-2009), he was Armenia’s ambassador to Greece (and 5 other countries in the region). He was also assigned to country’s permanent mission to the UN in NYC in 1994-1996.

He is known as a loyal diplomat for his country, devoted to human rights, who genuinely wants to make changes for the better. Most importantly, he is a role model, as a person who raised his children with values of equality and respect.

“No to homophobia: Hate is not a family value!”. Indeed, it is not. Love is.

We need more fathers, like Vahram, and more ambassadors, like him.

Human Rights Watch 2013 report on Armenia highlights discrimination against LGBT people

Below are relevant extracts from the Human Rights Watch 2013 report on Armenia:

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In July, the NGO Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) Armenia reported that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people experience employment discrimination, obstacles accessing healthcare, and physical and psychological abuse in the army, in families, and in public.

On May 8, unidentified people threw a homemade bomb at DIY, a Yerevan bar frequented by LGBT and women’s rights activists. Graffiti identified LGBT people as targets. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov called the attack “right and justified.” Police arrested two suspects who were released pending trial. Unidentified attackers destroyed bar property and made death threats against its owners in three subsequent May incidents. Police were called during each attack but intervened only once.

On May 21 in Yerevan, a group of people threatened violence and shouted homophobic slogans at participants in a march organized by PINK Armenia and the Women’s Resource Center Armenia to celebrate diversity.

Key International Actors

In its May European Neighborhood Policy Progress Report, the European Commission urged Armenia to address corruption, media freedom, low public trust in the judiciary, and inadequate investigation of ill-treatment. It commended the government for strengthening laws on gender equality and health care.

European Union foreign ministers’ conclusions on the South Caucasus adopted in February at the Foreign Affairs council in Brussels highlighted the importance of free and fair elections and further judiciary reforms, political pluralism, freedom of and equal access to media, and protection of human rights defenders.

In his July visit to Yerevan, EU President Herman Van Rompuy welcomed Armenian authorities’ efforts to deliver more competitive and transparent parliamentary elections, but cautioned that February 2013 presidential elections should be more democratic.

Following its July review of Armenia’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the HRC highlighted a host of concerns, including lack of comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation, violence against racial and religious minorities and LGBT people, discrimination and violence against women, lack of accountability for torture, and threats and attacks against rights defenders.

In May, the UN Office in Armenia condemned violence and intolerance based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The EU Delegation to Armenia and the CoE’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concern over Armenia’s inadequate response to anti-LGBT hate speech and violence.

In a new strategy for Armenia adopted in May, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development stressed the need for “further steps” such as police and judiciary reform and facilitating media pluralism.
***
Unfortunately, there was no reflection on LGBT rights in Georgia and Azerbaijan related annual reports.

Armenia LGBT rights record to be scrutinised before UN Human Rights Committee

Review of Armenia at UN Human Rights Committee to begin on Monday 16 July 2012.

PINK Armenia in cooperation with the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, ILGA-Europe and the George Washington University Law School International Human Rights Clinic has prepared and submitted a shadow report focusing on "Human Rights Violations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) People in Armenia" for consideration at the 105th Session of the Human Rights Committee. (ILGA-Europe)

This is the first time such a comprehensive LGBT report has been submitted as part of the review of Armenia human rights commitments before the UN.

Human Rights House Network reports that the hearings of this and other Armenia related issues will take place on 16-17 July. You may follow live broadcast here: http://www.treatybodywebcast.org

To access LGBT Report in full - follow this link. Below are selected key summary extracts.

***

The purpose of this report is to highlight the widespread and systematic human rights violations experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Armenia. These violations have become all the more concerning in light of the recent upsurge in violent attacks against the LGBT community, and speech inciting such attacks in the month of May 2012. In particular, the report draws the attention of the Committee to the following breaches of the Covenant:

Background summary
• The State of Armenia remains deeply oppressive toward LGBT individuals, as reflected by public officials’ statements against the LGBT community.
• The Armenian State fails to protect LGBT individuals from public stigma and hate speech because it has failed to enact laws that criminalize hate speech, including against LGBT persons.
• Individuals in Armenia are subject to discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity by both State and non-State actors, including in access to education, employment opportunities, and healthcare.
• Though inadequate reporting makes exact numbers uncertain, local human rights groups report an alarming number of non-combat deaths in the army each year, including deaths of LGBT individuals. Gay and bisexual men serving in the army may be particularly at risk. The Armenian State fails to adequately prevent, investigate, and/or prosecute incidents of gender and sexual orientation-based killings, including against LGBT individuals.
• Gay and bisexual men in Armenia suffer cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment while serving in the army or detained in prison. In some instances, the State is responsible for this abuse or fails to adequately prevent, investigate, and/or prosecute incidents of violence toward LGBT individuals.
• The Armenian State refuses to recognize the gender identity of transgender persons. By denying transgender individuals appropriate identity documents, the State withholds from them the status of legal personhood.

Recommendations
The State of Armenia must adopt legislative, administrative, and judicial measures to ensure respect, protection, and promotion of, and minimize violation of, human rights without any distinction based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. To that end, the Human Rights Committee should recommend:

1. Armenia should adopt anti-discrimination legislation that condemns discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
2. Armenia should take appropriate measures to end all discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity by adopting comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. In particular, the State party should introduce a comprehensive system of laws that criminalize hate speech and discourage statements by public officials that foster discrimination against LGBT people.
3. Armenia should take action to end all violence committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the Armenian army or who are detained in prison. In particular, the State party should protect LGBT persons from discrimination, physical and mental torture, and degrading treatment. The State party should revise the military code and put in place measures to fully investigate alleged crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and where appropriate, ensure that such crimes are properly prosecuted and punished.
4. Armenia should take appropriate measures to ensure that all persons have the enjoyment of their rights and are entitled to access basic services, such as education and employment, without discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity. In particular, the State Party should pay special attention to undertake these efforts outside of the capital city of Yerevan.
5. Armenia should take steps to improve its public health campaign to end discrimination against LGBT persons infected with HIV/AIDS.
6. Armenia should adopt appropriate laws that permit transgender persons to legally transition, and to receive identity documents that reflect an individual’s identified gender.

Question to the State party
1. What is the State party doing to address discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity?
2. What is the State party doing to address hate speech and homophobic statements by public officials, which are detrimental to the full exercise of the right to freedom of expression?
3. What is the State party doing to protect individuals from physical and mental torture, and degrading treatment on grounds of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, particularly in the Armenian army and among detainees?
4. What is the State party doing to legally recognize sex and name that reflect the individual’s gender identity in the case of transgender people?

United Nations Armenia Office Statement on Discrimination against Sexual Minorities

*UN Armenia office

[Armenian version]

The United Nations in Armenia condemns the recent expressions and acts of violence and intolerance towards individuals and groups in Armenia, based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Such expressions and acts are never justified under any circumstances, and public office should not be used as a platform for promoting discrimination and intolerance. 

The general principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other United Nations human rights treaties to which Armenia is party, establish clear obligations on the part of States to protect people from discrimination, including on the basis of sex or other status. Where there is tension between cultural attitudes and universal human rights, universal human rights must always take precedence. 

The United Nations in Armenia urges the Armenian authorities to further address the current atmosphere of impunity by swiftly and thoroughly investigating these acts and to afford all persons the protections guaranteed under national and international law.

*/emphasis mine/*

"I am erasing my mask of silence": PINK Armenia marks Day of Silence

*via PINK Armenia

In various states of the world, starting from 1996, the third Friday of April is being commemorated as a day of silence. The foremost aim of the Day of Silence (DOS) is to draw attention on discrimination and bullying towards LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals and other social groups in educational institutions. Moreover, this day is meant to eliminate and prevent such phenomena for the educational institutions to become a safer place for everyone, regardless of students’ and pupils’ sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, appearance and any other social and personal characteristics.

We may witness phenomena as violence, discrimination, hate speech, mockery and abuse – behaviors that humiliate human dignity and violate basic human rights and freedoms – in almost all educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia.

On this occasion, on April 19, on the eve of the DOS, the head of Public Information and Need of Knowledge NGO Mamikon Hovsepian pointed out that “Pupils and students are treated this way both by their schoolmates and fellow students, and by educators (professionals) and other workers of the institution. Even though almost every one of us had been a witness to such trends, we regretfully assert that it is not regarded as a problem in our society and it is, furthermore, seen as an ordinary fact. Therefore, no steps are taken in terms of researching such problems and, more importantly, in terms of preventing and overcoming them, in increasing and developing tolerance.” He also added that: “We often witness such cases. A 17 years old young boy had to move from three schools in the process of getting his education as a result of discrimination and bullying as he was overweight and had more fragile (feminine) appearance. And fellow students of a girl, Yezidi by her ethnic origin, refused to sit next to her in the university.”

Social worker Nvard Margaryan has stated that “Discrimination and violence occurring in educational institutions affect both the development and quality of the life of youth, as well as create additional social problems such as social alienation, manifestation of aggressive behavior and complex of inferiority, even attempts of committing suicide and suicide.”

Speakers of the press conference have afterwards spoken about the effective mechanisms of prevention and the need of elaborating measures, in particular about the necessity of having competent professionals in educational institutions as well as about the education and protection of human rights.

At the end, the speakers have added that on April 20, on the “Day of Silence”, the members of staff will keep silence and will not provide any service.
***
“Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO has joined this campaign since 2010. European Union Delegation to Armenia and UN Department of Public Information assist the campaign this year.

"Tolerance and Homophobia" - youth discussion at UN Armenia office

“Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO in cooperation with European Union Delegation to Armenia and UN Department of Public Information is organizing one-day discussion among youth on the topic “Tolerance and Homophobia”.

The discussion will take place in the UN Armenia Office (14 P. Adamyan str, Yerevan) meeting hall on April 25, 26, 27, at 16:00.

The discussion will be organized in a form of interesting theatre game, which represents a Facebook discussion. Each participant will be given an opportunity to actively participate in the discussion as a Facebook user, to make comments, raise questions, as well as like or dislike the statements represented by the participants.

For more details of the event and how to participate - see UN Armenia FB events page or PINK Armenia.

Aram Abrahamyan did it again: new homophobic outburst by the editor of Armenia’s highly ‘liberal’ and ‘ethical’ daily Aravot

He begins with a statement that he "understands" everything: European values, tolerance, political correctness etc. In fact, what his editorial proves, he understood nothing. Not a single thing. Zero.

Starting with the title of his piece: “Blue-coloured...” [derogatory term to refer to gays in post-Soviet states]

Yes, ladies and gents, [blue-coloured, sodomites... համասեռամոլ (AM)] - this is a vocabulary of highly ‘ethical’ editor-in-chief.

In fact, when he says “gay” he implies “sex worker”. ‘Liberal’ and educated editor-in-chief equates being gay with that of sex workers making inappropriate generalisations.

Բայց միասեռականներն այսօր իրենց այնպես են պահում, որ ճիշտը հենց իրենք են եւ հատուկ, նպատակաուղղված ի ցույց են դնում իրենց այդ կողմնորոշումը՝ մասնավորապես փողոցում իրենց նմանների հետ զբաղվելով մարմնավաճառությամբ:

He does not stop here. There is this whole new layer of the low for ‘suffering of political correctness’ Aram Abrahamyan. Editor believes it’s acceptable to say ‘bad words’ to female sex workers.

Եթե փողոցի որեւէ խաչմերուկում կանգնած է «սովորական»՝ կին մարմնավաճառ, դուք կարող եք կոպտության այս կամ այն աստիճանով խնդրել նրան այնտեղ չկանգնել՝ ենթադրենք, պատճառաբանելով, որ ձեր երեխային տհաճ է նման գործով զբաղվող մի կնոջ տեսնելը:

The wanders of editor’s logic takes you deep into the territory of conspiracy theorists. He ends up questioning: perhaps, it’s true that there is international league of homosexuals that influences the fate of this world.

Իսկ գուցե իսկապես գոյություն ունի աշխարհի ճակատագրի վրա ազդող համասեռամոլների միջազգային լիգա:

Guess what, Mr Abrahamyan. Yes, there is such “league” (in plural). Yes, they are powerful. They take a note of all the local and international bigots, just like you. In fact, with such editorials you help them to double their efforts to influence the “fate of this world”, with the aim of turning it into a place where hatemongers, just like you, feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. And the commander-in-chief of that “league” is... UN Secretary-General [Նույնասեռականների նկատմամբ խտրականությունը հարձակում է համամարդկային արժեքների վրա. Բան Կի Մուն]. See, the highest possible international level.



It's clear that the editor waited till the start of pre-election period to launch series 2 of homophobic rants called “editorial”, hinting at existence of high-level patrons of local gays. His populist approach to appeal to the lowest possible denominator among the mainstream is despicable.

“Privileged”... [referring to the ‘status’ of gays in Armenia] You have a very S&M perception of the word “privileged”, Mr Abrahamyan. Not judging, just stating.

With all the recent series of positive gay-themed articles (latest example) appeared on his newspaper, he was making an impression that Aravot has changed, and it’s only a matter of time that the editor himself will come clean, say “sorry” for all the hateful remarks in past and move on. But apparently, it was merely a smokescreen.

In his previous similar editorial two years ago, Aravot’s editor Aram Abrahamyan expressed his dismay at what he considers false displays of “European values”. “No one can convince me that [sexual] relations between two men are as normal as between a man and a woman”, writes Abrahamyan. He calls homosexuality “disgusting”, “disorder” etc. [Read: Homophobic editor of Armenian daily Aravot - Aram Abrahamyan - came out with another hate editorial Also relevant: When hypocrisy meets homophobia: founder of Civilitas Foundation and editor of Aravot daily]

He had a chance to change. Two years on... he didn’t use that chance. Instead, he hit the new low.

I can only reinstate my call to boycott sponsorship or any other support and collaboration with him. [Homophobia Hall of Shame] This is my personal position.

Read, make up your mind and act accordingly.
***

Երկնագույն արտոնյալները

ԱՊՐԻԼ 7, 2012

Ես ամեն ինչ հասկանում եմ՝ եվրոպական արժեքներ, հանդուրժողականություն, քաղաքական կոռեկտություն եւ այլն: Ինքս էլ կողմ եմ այդ ամենին: Բայց ես չեմ հասկանում, թե ինչու մեր համաքաղաքացիների հատկապես մի մասին մենք պարտավոր ենք գլխներիս վրա ման տալ եւ չհամարձակվել նրանց հասցեին որեւէ թթու խոսք ասել: Խոսքս, ինչպես հասկանում եք, միասեռականների մասին է: Եթե փողոցի որեւէ խաչմերուկում կանգնած է «սովորական»՝ կին մարմնավաճառ, դուք կարող եք կոպտության այս կամ այն աստիճանով խնդրել նրան այնտեղ չկանգնել՝ ենթադրենք, պատճառաբանելով, որ ձեր երեխային տհաճ է նման գործով զբաղվող մի կնոջ տեսնելը: Բայց եթե նույն խաչմերուկում կանգնած է կնոջ նման քսված եւ կանացի համազգեստ հագած արվամոլ մարմնավաճառը, ձեր ցանկացած դիտողության վերաբերյալ նա այնպիսի վայնասուն կբարձրացնի, որ այն մի քանի ժամից կհասնի Եվրոպայի խորհուրդ, եւ ձեր դժգոհությունը անպայման տեղ կգտնի այդ կազմակերպության տարեկան զեկույցում: Հենց այդ նկատառումից ելնելով է, հավանաբար, քաղաքապետարանի դիմաց կանգնած այդ մասնագիտության ամեն մի միասեռականի անվտանգությունը պաշտպանում 4-5 «կարմիր բերետավոր»: Արգելքները, բնականաբար, տարածվում են նաեւ լրագրության վրա, եւ վստահ եմ, որ իմ այս նշումները նույնպես կարժանանան միասեռականների տարբեր կազմակերպությունների բուռն քննարկմանն ու խիստ դատապարտմանը՝ որպես «հոմոֆոբիական»: Ոչ մի պաշտոնյայի, ոչ մի քաղաքական գործչի եւ ոչ մի օլիգարխի հասցեին քննադատությունը չի արժանանում նման արձագանքի:
Ես մինչեւ վերջ չեմ հասկանում, թե ինչու է այդպես: Բայց փաստը մնում է փաստ. իրենց ճնշվածի, հետապնդվողի դերում ներկայացնողներն իրականում շատ հզոր են՝ նրանք թե՛ երկրի ներսում եւ թե՛, մանավանդ, նրա սահմաններից դուրս վայելում են ազդեցիկ մարդկանց հովանավորությունը: Իհարկե, ավանդական կամ ոչ ավանդական կողմնորոշումը ամեն մի մարդու անձնական գործն է, եւ ինչպես այս, այնպես էլ մնացած դեպքերում ոչ ոք իրավունք չունի որոշելու, թե որն է ճիշտը, իսկ որը՝ սխալը: Բայց միասեռականներն այսօր իրենց այնպես են պահում, որ ճիշտը հենց իրենք են եւ հատուկ, նպատակաուղղված ի ցույց են դնում իրենց այդ կողմնորոշումը՝ մասնավորապես փողոցում իրենց նմանների հետ զբաղվելով մարմնավաճառությամբ: Իհարկե, միասեռականների նկատմամբ ագրեսիվ դրսեւորումները դատապարտելի են, բայց նույնքան դատապարտելի է իրենց՝ սոդոմիստների ագրեսիվությունը: Եվ ինչո՞ւ են նրանք կարծում, թե իրենց հակումներն այնքան լավն են, որ բոլորը պետք է նրանց ծափահարեն: Հավանաբար, մեր պետությունը, բազմաթիվ այլ հարցերում խախտելով մարդկանց իրավունքները, որոշել է գոնե այստեղ խնդիրներ չունենալ:
Իսկ գուցե իսկապես գոյություն ունի աշխարհի ճակատագրի վրա ազդող համասեռամոլների միջազգային լիգա:
ԱՐԱՄ ԱԲՐԱՀԱՄՅԱՆ

Police violence against LGBT persons in Azerbaijan - Council of Europe report

In Azerbaijan during 2009 police raided bars which LGBT persons visit and arrested almost 50 people. Police reportedly held the individuals and threatened to expose their sexual orientation publicly unless they paid a bribe. A film documentary from Azerbaijan in which several people testify about their experiences also points to such incidents of blackmail.

UN treaty bodies and UN special rapporteurs have, in relation to Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Turkey, urged these states to end acts of violence and harassment by the police against LGBT persons. In some instances LGBT human rights defenders have been a target of such harassment and violence. The UN Special Representative on the situation of human rights defenders pointed out in 2007 that “In numerous cases ... police or government officials are the alleged perpetrators of violence and threats against defenders of LGBTI rights. In several of these cases ... police officers have, allegedly, beaten up or even sexually abused these defenders of LGBTI rights.” The Special Representative reminded states of their responsibility for protecting defenders against violence and threats.

*Read also: Groundbreaking Council of Europe report issues ‘red cards’ to many member states, incl. Armenia, for failing gay rights

Armenia and Georgia, among 85 countries, signed major UN gay rights statement

Following historic UN statement in 2008 - History in making: 66 countries, including Armenia, signed a joint UN statement against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity - Armenia consistently endorsed major international statements on gay rights and against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. [for other examples - see here]

As reported by international media and gay rights groups world-wide, yet another important step forward was achieved on Tuesday 22 March when 85 countries endorsed a Joint Statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council. This statement was put forward and intensively lobbied world-wide by US president Obama’s administration.

As in the past, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia did not endorse the statement. I will put #fail here.

The full text of the statement delivered at the Human Rights Council on 22 March 2011 by the representative of Colombia on behalf of 85 countries is provided below (source). Within the comments section of this post you may also read some immediate reactions of prominent gay rights groups.

ILGA-Europe reports that 43 European countries, including Armenia and Georgia, signed the statement. Only 6 countries from the European region did not sign up: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey, Vatican.

Now what we need more is to move from the ‘paper’ to real-life implementation of the principles outlined in this statement. Only then I will call this a breakthrough, for real.
***
Joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation & gender identity

Delivered by Colombia on behalf of: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,  Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the former-Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Uruguay,  Vanautu and Venezuela

1.       We recall the previous joint statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, presented at the Human Rights Council in 2006;

2.       We express concern at continued evidence in every region of acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity brought to the Council’s attention by Special Procedures since that time, including killings, rape, torture and criminal sanctions;

3.       We recall the joint statement in the General Assembly on December 18, 2008 on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, supported by States from all five regional groups, and encourage States to consider joining the statement;

4.       We commend the attention paid to these issues by international human rights mechanisms including relevant Special Procedures and treaty bodies and welcome continued attention to human rights issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity within the context of the Universal Periodic Review. As the United Nations Secretary General reminded us in his address to this Council at its Special Sitting of 25 January 2011, the Universal Declaration guarantees all human beings their basic rights without exception, and when individuals are attacked, abused or imprisoned because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the international community has an obligation to respond;

5.       We welcome the positive developments on these issues in every region in recent years, such as the resolutions on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity adopted by consensus in each of the past three years by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, the initiative of the Asia-Pacific Forum on National Human Rights Institutions to integrate these issues within the work of national human rights institutions in the region, the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the increasing attention being paid to these issues by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, and the many positive legislative and policy initiatives adopted by States at the national level in diverse regions;

6.       We note that the Human Rights Council must also play its part in accordance with its mandate to “promote universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without discrimination of any kind, and in a fair and equal manner” (GA 60/251, OP 2);

7.       We acknowledge that these are sensitive issues for many, including in our own societies. We affirm the importance of respectful dialogue, and trust that there is common ground in our shared recognition that no-one should face stigmatisation, violence or abuse on any ground.  In dealing with sensitive issues, the Council must be guided by the principles of universality and non-discrimination;

8.       We encourage the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to address human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to explore opportunities for outreach and constructive dialogue to enhance understanding and awareness of these issues within a human rights framework;

9.       We recognise our broader responsibility to end human rights violations against all those who are marginalised and take this opportunity to renew our commitment to addressing discrimination in all its forms;

10.  We call on States to take steps to end acts of violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, encourage Special Procedures, treaty bodies and other stakeholders to continue to integrate these issues within their relevant mandates, and urge the Council to address these important human rights issues.

Azerbaijan joins totalitarian ‘club’ of homophobic countries by voting to remove sexual orientation from the UN resolution condemning executions based on discriminatory grounds

Azerbaijan became the only country in the South Caucasus to support such move, proposed by African Group at the UN and supported mainly by a bunch of totalitarian countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia. Disappointingly, Russia joined that ‘club’ too.

I am glad to see that Armenia and Georgia joined instead the civilised world in opposing such removal.

Below is a statement by International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

***
17 November 2010

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and ARC International are deeply disappointed with yesterday’s vote in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly to remove a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The resolution urges States to protect the right to life of all people, including by calling on states to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. For the past 10 years, the resolution has included sexual orientation in the list of discriminatory grounds on which killings are often based.

The removed reference was originally contained in a non-exhaustive list in the resolution highlighting the many groups of people that are particularly targeted by killings - including persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, persons acting as human rights defenders (such as lawyers, journalists or demonstrators) as well as street children and members of indigenous communities. Mentioning sexual orientation as a basis on which people are targeted for killing highlights a situation in which particular vigilance is required in order for all people to be afforded equal protection.

The amendment removing the reference to sexual orientation was sponsored by Benin on behalf of the African Group in the UN General Assembly and was adopted with 79 votes in favor, 70 against, 17 abstentions and 26 absent.

“This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development,” said Cary Alan Johnson, Executive Director of IGLHRC. “It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalize homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime, and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalizing homosexuality.”

This decision in the General Assembly flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence that people are routinely killed around the world because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and renders these killings invisible or unimportant. The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions has highlighted documented cases of extrajudicial killings on the grounds of sexual orientation including individuals facing the death penalty for consensual same-sex conduct; individuals tortured to death by State actors because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; paramilitary groups killing individuals because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation as part of “social cleansing” campaigns; individuals murdered by police officers with impunity because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; and States failing to investigate hate crimes and killings of persons because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.

"It is a matter of great shame that the responsible Committee of the United Nations General Assembly failed in its responsibility to explicitly condemn well-documented killings based on sexual orientation," said John Fisher, Co-Director of ARC international. "The credibility of the United Nations requires protection of all persons from violations of their fundamental human rights, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. We thank those States which supported the inclusion of sexual orientation in the text, and will redouble our collective efforts to ensure that Member States of the United Nations maintain the standards they have sworn to uphold."

The amendment runs counter to other positive developments in UN and regional human rights systems where there is increased recognition of the need for protection from discrimination regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. At a September 2010 panel held in conjunction with a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon unequivocally recognized “the particular vulnerability of individuals who face criminal sanctions, including imprisonment and in some cases the death penalty, on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Sixty-eight countries have also signed a joint statement in the UN General Assembly on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity which calls for an end to “human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity … in particular the use of the death penalty on this ground [and] extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.”

IGLHRC and ARC International urge all States, regardless of their vote on this amendment, to sign the UNGA joint statement affirming support of the human rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity and to continue in efforts to decriminalize same-sex conduct and to end other discrimination, including violence, on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The votes to amend the resolution were as follows:

In favor of the amendment to remove sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (79):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Dar-Sala, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Opposed to the amendment to remove sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (70):

Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia (FS), Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela

Abstain (17):

Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papau New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Absent (26):

Albania, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Marshall Island, Mauritania, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Sao Tome Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan

IWPR roundtable on LGBT issues in Armenia: ‘Why does Ombudsman trust police and not appeal by citizen?’ asks Hovsepyan

*via Epress.am

Though Armenia signed the UN Declaration Against Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in December 2008, there are still no actual laws in Armenia that protect the rights of LGBT people and prohibit discrimination based on sexual identity and gender orientation, said Mamikon Hovsepyan from PINK Armenia (Public Information and Need of Knowledge) NGO at a roundtable on LGBT issues organized by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) Armenia today.

Hovsepyan also added that Armenia, along with Azerbaijan, didn’t sign (adopt) the April 2010 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Resolution on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The PINK Armenia representative also discussed the research the organization had conducted on discrimination and rights violation toward LGBT people in Armenia.

Hovsepyan noted that the majority of respondents noted that they have never and will never go to the police and law enforcement bodies for protecting their rights, since not only do they not resolve the issues at hand, but they also become cause for new issues to arise.

Hovsepyan recalled an occasion when a group of officers had called out derogatory terms referring to gays to a man on the street who had then actually filed a complaint with the Ombdusman on July 1, 2009 (complaint no. 1–0508). However, the RA Police also sent a letter to the police in which they described the incident much more mildly saying the man was simply brought in for questioning for 5 minutes and had his identity checked by checking his passport. According to Hovsepyan, the Ombudsman believed the police’s word over the victim’s even though the man didn’t even have his passport on him that day.

“Why do they trust the letter by the police and not by the citizen?” Hovsepyan asked.

Furthermore, he said that when IWPR representative Sara Khojoyan asked the Ombudsman if there were any complaints by LGBT people registered with their office, the Human Rights Defender had said no. Drawing on the incident he mentioned, Hovsepyan said, “Let them not say there were no complaints.”

*picture - via M.K.'s FB page

UN expert calls for better protection of human rights defenders, including LGBT, in Armenia

UN News Centre: 18 June 2010 – Armenian authorities must take steps to protect human rights defenders, who are often physically attacked, harassed or stigmatized as they try to carry out their work in the Caucasus nation, an independent United Nations expert said today. [...]

Human rights defenders and civil society groups should be consulted and included in decision-making processes, Ms. Sekaggya said, adding the specific needs of women defenders and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender defenders must also be addressed. [...]
***
For more details - see Unzipped

Azeri MPs boycotted Council of Europe (PACE) gay rights debate

Surprise-surprise. You know... same old bullshit (see below re-post from a local news agency in Baku).

As I mentioned in my earlier post, there was a fierce opposition to this debate from certain religious and political circles in Georgia too. It's not clear what was the position of Armenian MPs re PACE debate and proposed resolution. As we know, Armenia and Georgia endorsed historic UN gay rights statement. So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Armenia was consistent by endorsing various EU statements in support of gay rights. However, no practical steps were implemented for legal protection of human rights and equality of LGBT citizens in Armenia.

Back to the debates in Council of Europe, voting was delayed till PACE next session in April. Will keep an eye on developments.
***

Azerbaijani MPs not to attend European debates on same-sex marriage

Fri 22 January 2010 | 13:15 GMT 

Sabir Hajiyev

Azerbaijani MPs and religious leaders have spoken out against a debate on sexual orientation to be held at the Council of Europe next week.

Two members of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Gultekin Hajibeyli and Sabir Hajiyev, said they would not take part in the debates.

"I am not going to take part in these discussions and I think it wrong to raise this issue in PACE," Hajiyev said.

The PACE debate, provisionally scheduled for 27 January, will discuss discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender self-identification and will propose the legalization of same-sex marriages in Council of Europe member-states.

"I have a very negative view of the debate. Yes, we have declared integration with European structures as our priority, but we must also protect our national and cultural values. This is unacceptable for us and we do not intend to copy everything that is adopted in Europe," Hadi Rajabli, chairman of the parliamentary committee on social policy, said.

"We have our own mentality and we must preserve our cultural values", he added.

The Caucasus Muslims Department expressed its opposition to the debates. They urged MPs to speak against the proposal not only during this session of PACE but in future too: "This is a great sin and Islam condemns such sinful acts."

The head of the Mountain Jews community of Azerbaijan, Semen Ikhiilov, also urged deputies not to take part in these discussions.

"Whoever raises these issues is insane. These people have no shame. Such actions are condemned by all world religions. Therefore, I am very negative about it," Ikhiilov said.

The Ukrainian council of churches and religious organizations have also protested at the planned PACE debate on the legalization of same-sex marriages.

1 news.az

Georgia: Church inspired opposition to upcoming Council of Europe (PACE) debate on gay rights resolution

During its session on 25-29 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will debate a groundbreaking resolution on “Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity”. [which follows a recent UN statement signed by Armenia (and Georgia too)]

There have already been church inspired voices from Georgia opposing this resolution.

Georgian Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, Vatican's envoy
 to Georgia, leaders of Jewish and Muslim communities in Georgia jointly 
condemned PACE’s plan to debate this resolution (Information is in Georgian language). I am amused with displays of such a unity when it comes to opposing human rights. It would have been sweet, if not so tragic and ironic. They are so out of touch with realities.

In a related development, Georgia’s Christian Democrats announced they will oppose PACE resolution. Ironically, they are members of the “Liberal fraction” in the PACE.

Georgia's Christian Democrats are to oppose proposals to protect sexual minorities when they come before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) this week.

The party's spokesperson, and PACE member, Magda Anikashvili (pictured) said, according to "Gruzia Online", the proposals were "contrary to both our history and our spirituality."

The Christian Democrats sit in the Liberal fraction in the PACE. [...]

Georgia remains one of the most homophobic countries in Europe. It is widely believed that the current government legislated to decriminalise same sex relationships with no enthusiasm and simply to meet the criteria of the Council of Europe. The Christian Democrats, however, opposed even that and recently called for homosexuality to be recriminalised - a move that could eventually see Georgia expelled from the Council of Europe if it were ever enacted.

The Georgian police recently attacked the country's main gay rights campaign group.

I wonder how Armenian delegation will vote. Will keep an eye on developments. Armenian representatives should not follow Georgian voices in opposing this resolution, which will contradict Armenia's signatures under the UN statement and (similar in spirit) EU statements.

Armenia aligns with the EU human rights / gay rights statement

"Human rights apply equally to every human being regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, disability or any other factor."

Now if only these statements implemented for real...

Swedish Presidency - EU statement at the UN Human Rights Council on the follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Hans Dahlgren, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations Office in Geneva on behalf of the European Union.

Check against delivery

The Swedish Presidency of the European Union, 30 September 2009

United Nations
Human Rights Council – 12th session
30 September 2009

EU Statement
Item 8 - General Debate:
Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Mr. President,

I speak for the European Union

While Turkey, Croatia*,the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* , Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this declaration.

Mr President,

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action confirmed the universality and indivisibility of human rights. The European Union supports the continuing efforts of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms to implement those documents.

The European Union commends the quality of the work carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and fully supports the High Commissioner in her continued efforts to pursue her task efficiently and with integrity.

The Vienna documents highlighted the fundamental role played by civil society in ensuring the respect and promotion of human rights. The past years have seen the worldwide emergence of NGO's working with the implementation of international human rights treaties.

The Declaration in Vienna also reaffirmed the obligation of states to create favourable conditions to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights. States must make every effort to eliminate all violations of human rights and their causes. In this context, Mr President, the European Union notes with great concern the increasingly violent political climate in Guinea. It urges the current leadership to respect human rights and to allow a return to democracy and constitutional order in the Republic of Guinea.

In practice, many people continue to be denied enjoyment of their rights and fundamental freedoms. Human rights defenders frequently pursue their struggle while risking their own lives and the lives and well-being of their families. The EU condemns any acts of intimidation against human rights defenders and reiterates the responsibility of governments and individual political leaders to refrain from statements that might endanger their safety.

The international community is facing a severe challenge in handling the climate crisis, while at the same time coping with one of the most serious economic crises in decades. It is crucial that the difficulties these challenges present for us all are not used as a pretext to lessen our commitment to fulfilling our human rights obligations.

Persistent discrimination and other large-scale human rights violations facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons are a source of strong concern, of which the situations in Iraq and Uganda are troubling examples. However, there are also positive examples such as the ruling in July by the Delhi High Court in India that consensual sex between adults of the same sex is not against the law. Human rights apply equally to every human being regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, disability or any other factor.

The Vienna documents draws our attention to the importance of women's rights, and does also explicitly recognise gender-based violence, sexual harassment and exploitation of women. Trafficking of women and girls is among the worst forms of violation of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the EU attaches importance to the elimination of this exploitation.

Thank you, Mr President.

 

*source: Swedish Presidency of the European Union

/emphasis mine/

Editorial: "Armenia’s progressive new AIDS policy suggests it can be a regional leader"

By Jirair Ratevosian and Amy Hagopian

 

The Armenian Weekly

Earlier this year, we visited Armenia en route to a meeting of the 12th World Congress of Public Health Associations. We stopped in Yerevan to help celebrate with local organizations their recent success in persuading the government to repeal unwarranted requirements for foreign travelers to be tested for HIV.

In crafting the change in the law, Armenia's president and parliamentarians realized that longstanding regulations "did not meet the present-day requirements in the fight against HIV/AIDS," and acknowledged the lack of public health justification for barring immigrants with HIV. The parliament said the new rules were passed with the aim of "strengthening legal reforms and sustaining large-scale HIV/AIDS awareness raising activities" and "safeguarding human freedoms, dignity, and rights." This was a huge victory for public health and a proud moment for all Armenians.

There is added success to report in the global battle against HIV and AIDS. Several nations have demonstrated considerable progress in slowing national epidemics. In the last six years, rates of infection and death have slowed as the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment has increased immensely. Many actors share credit in this achievement, most notably the United States, which mobilized billions of dollars in many low- and middle-income countries.

Despite progress in reducing HIV infections, the past years have also been marked by missed opportunities. There is a real danger in some countries, including Armenia, that the epidemic could surge in vulnerable populations, including women, injecting drug users, and men who have sex with men. These socially marginalized groups face considerable barriers to HIV prevention and treatment access, often as a result of institutionalized discrimination, stigma, and lack of awareness.

In fact, the United Nations estimates 7,400 people become infected with HIV every day. Globally, an estimated 33 million people were living with HIV in 2007. The number of people living with HIV in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including countries of the former Soviet Union, has reached 1.5 million. Of that group, 2,300 are living in Armenia, according to the National Centre for AIDS Prevention, though the World Health Organization estimates the total to be higher. Silence, shame, and fear of ostracism enable HIV stigma and discrimination to flourish, resulting in fewer being tested and, ultimately, decreasing numbers of HIV/AIDS cases being reported.

Without appropriate health messages and support structures, vulnerable populations unknowingly engage in behavior that increases their risk of infection. A survey by Armenia's We For Civil Equality revealed young Armenian men who have sex with men are so poorly informed about HIV transmission that only half of the youngest men (18-30 years old) understood that "unprotected sexual intercourse" was a mode of HIV transmission. Half of those youngest men also believed, falsely, that one may get HIV through shaking hands.

Even more serious is the prejudice exhibited by members of the medical profession itself. Doctors, nurses, and staff responsible for the care and treatment of people living with HIV can sometimes turn out to be the most hurtful agents of HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Scientific advancement and public health education have turned AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease. Armenia has an opportunity to ensure that HIV infection rates remain low and that people living with HIV and AIDS receive proper care. Investing in needs-based prevention programming, public awareness campaigns, expansion of access to antiretroviral drugs, and accurate and comprehensive sexual health education are critical components of an effective national response. Further, legal reforms are needed to create an environment conducive to eliminating discrimination, stigma, and violence against sexual minorities.

The lesson to learn from the countries where HIV infection rates have fallen sharply is that active participation of civil society is critical for success, including participation from organizations representing sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS. Armenia has courageous groups working to provide life-saving services to vulnerable populations, such as Real World/Real People, Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK Armenia), and the Women's Resource Centre. With sufficient funding and political support, these and other organizations can transform community attitudes, drive policy, and mobilize the necessary resources to reverse the alarming spread of HIV among vulnerable populations.

The government, civil society groups, the private sector, the church, and the media all have a critical role to play in keeping Armenians healthy. Leaders in all sectors must model a willingness to discuss these issues openly and affirmatively enact policies to protect all citizens against discrimination and social exclusion. In turn, government must foster increased collaboration by supporting efforts to share information, address new challenges, and work collectively to design and deliver innovative and effective HIV/AIDS services.

Armenia has come a long way in a short time and the response to HIV will signal how it wants to advance on the global development agenda. While it was the last country in the south Caucasus to decriminalize sex between two males (2002), it demonstrated a progressive attitude by becoming the first country in the region to sign on to a UN statement against discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Ultimately, countries are judged by how they treat their poor, marginalized, and stigmatized people. Armenia can flourish as a regional leader by ensuring its people are healthy and cared for in a compassionate way.

Jirair Ratevosian, MPH, based in Washington D.C., chairs the International Health Advocacy and Policy Committee of the American Public Health Association. He was recently named deputy director of public policy for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Amy Hagopian, Ph.D. teaches at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle, Washington. She is also a senior health workforce policy advisor for Health Alliance International.

 

*/emphasis mine/

UN Human Rights Committee calls Azerbaijan to combat harassment of LGBT by state employees

I posted about this earlier. Now ILGA-Europe provides details on developments. Not that I think this will have any practical impact on Azeri government, but good to know that LGBT discrimination in Azerbaijan was discussed and noted in the UN.

***

August 09 EUROLETTER - ILGA-Europe

UN Human Rights Committee makes recommendation to Government of Azerbaijan to combat harassment of LGBT by state employees

by Beth Fernandez, ILGA-Europe’s Programmes Officer

From 20 to 21 July the UN Human Rights Committee considered the third periodic state report of Azerbaijan on meeting its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

ILGA-Europe together with Global Rights (www.globalrights.org) and Azeri LGBT organization, Gender and Development (www.lgbt.az) submitted a shadow report in respect of LGBT which can be found at www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/ngos/LGBT_Azerbaijan96.pdf . The joint report contained numerous cases of blackmail and harassment by the police of men having sex with men (MSM) and transgender sex workers in particular.

Once a State has signed the ICCPR, governments are required to provide a report on actions that it has taken, or plans to take, to implement and safeguard the rights contained in the treaty. The practice of shadow reporting provides an alternative source of information concerning state compliance. At the beginning of August the Human Rights Committee released its recommendations after consideration of the State report, shadow reports and other sources of information. With regard to Article 26 (Non Discrimination) the Human Rights Committee expressed its concern ‘at reports that individuals have been harassed by police and prison officials because of their sexual orientation’. It made the recommendation that ‘The State party should take measures in this respect by providing training activities to its law enforcement and penitentiary authorities and by elaborating a relevant Code of Conduct’.

This recommendation is an important recognition of the need for governmental action to tackle a serious human rights violation which Gender and Development have been documenting over the three years of their existence. It therefore constitutes an important advocacy tool which can be used by Gender and Development in persuading the Azeri Government of the need for tolerance programmes in state structures.

Report on violations of LGBT rights in Azerbaijan presented at UN Human Rights Committee

Via Friends of Azerbaijan, Gender and Development local LGBT NGO, in partnership with Global Rights and ILGA-Europe, presented a report on The Violations of the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in Azerbaijan at the 96th session of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva. It's not clear what was the outcome of that meeting, or whether any practical actions will follow, but the precedent was set as LGBT rights were specifically discussed as part of the overall state of human rights in Azerbaijan at the highest international level. However, when it comes to human rights, UN mechanisms are slow and frequently inefficient.

Earlier Reuters reported that the decision is to be expected on 31 July.

The committee session was held as a top-level delegation from the European Union, with which Azerbaijan is seeking to boost economic relations especially in the energy sector, was expressing alarm in Baku about rights.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who headed the EU team, told reporters there on Monday that he had expressed concern to President Ilham Aliyev over the arrest of two opposition bloggers who were accused of hooliganism.

At the same time, ambassadors of the 27 EU member states voiced disquiet "about the condition of human rights and freedoms" in the country where Aliyev and his late father have held power almost uninterrupted for nearly three decades.

But at a Geneva news conference, NGOs said they feared the EU was unlikely to go beyond words in its criticism of Azerbaijan, a key supplier of oil and gas from Caspian Sea fields offering an alternative to energy from Russia.

"In our experience, the countries most likely to take a strong stance are the United States and (non-EU member) Norway -- they have their own oil," said Florian Irminger of the Geneva-based Human Rights House Foundation.

EU - plus Armenia and Georgia, but not Azerbaijan - condemns Burundi for its recent criminalisation of gay sex

PrideSource reports that EU issued a statement condemning Burundi's criminalisation of gay sex. What is becoming a positive pattern and a welcome consequence of closer ties with the EU, Armenia and Georgia aligned themselves with this statement. What is also notable is absence of Azerbaijan from all recent gay rights statement (UN, EU).
***

The European Union, in a declaration issued by its presidency, has criticized the African nation of Burundi for its recent criminalization of gay sex.

"The criminalisation of consensual same-sex relations presents a violation of the rights to privacy, equality and non-discrimination as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the EU said May 11. "Adoption of such a norm is contradictory to Burundi's obligations under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter of Human and People's Rights."

The declaration also says bans on gay sex impede the fight against HIV by driving marginalized communities underground.

In addition to the 27 member nations of the EU, the declaration was supported by Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Ukraine.