DECLARATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ON THE RECOGNITION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION IN THE OSCE
We, the undersigned representatives of civil society, call upon the OSCE participating states to recognise sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression explicitly as grounds of discrimination, intolerance, hate-motivated crimes and human rights violations in the OSCE commitments. There is substantial evidence that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities are especially vulnerable to hate crimes, and therefore have a particular need to be included in programmes addressing this issue. We therefore commend the inclusive and comprehensive approach of ODIHR in its work on hate crimes, data collection, police trainings, which includes awareness raising and promotion of measures to fight discrimination on all grounds. We call upon the OSCE participating states to continue supporting this work and provide adequate resources. We recall the participating states of their obligation under various international treaties and national constitutions to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of all persons without discrimination. It is therefore our great concern that the OSCE participating states do not have a consensus on interpretation of "all people" and exclude certain social groups from exercising their human rights, such as the right to life and physical integrity, freedom of assembly and association, right to private life, and freedom of expression. These rights, if protected, ensure the dignity of all people, and there can be no justification for exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from enjoyment of these rights. Signed by:
- European Social Platform
- Human Rights First, USA
- International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE)
- International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, USA
- European Women’s Lobby
- European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA-Europe)
- Amnesty International EU Office
- International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
- NGO Platform "Coalition Europe"
- European Humanist Federation
- European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
- European Organisation for Human Rights (EHOR), Strasbourg
- European Roma Rights Centre
- Youth for Human Rights International, USA and Austria
- Quaker Council for European Affairs
- World Organisation Against Torture – Europe (OMCT Europe)
- European Anti-Poverty Network
- Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), Switzerland
- Ascedent, Romania
- OSCE-NGO Network
- Conseil de la Jeunesse Pluriculturelle (COJEP International)
- Organisation Sociale de St. Petersburg «Union Africaine», Russia
- Jewish Cultural Centre "Menora", Armenia
- Roma Education Fund, Hungary
- Romo Amaro, Belarus
- Memorial of Saint Petersburg, Russia
- TransGenderEurope
- Spanish LGBT Federation (FELGBT)
- Movimiento contra la Intolerancia, Spain
- The Islamic Commission of Spain
- GlobalSIDA, Spain
- SOS Rassismus Deutschewerz, Switzerland
- Swiss African Forum, Switzerland
- RFSL, Sweden
- Campaign Against Homophobia, Poland
- Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Georgia
- NGO Nash Mir (Our World), Ukraine
- Coalition of HIV-Service Organisations of Ukraine
- Information Centre GenderDoc-M, Moldova
- National Roma Centre, Moldova
- LADOM (Moldovan League for Human Rights Protection), Moldova
- National Youth Council of Moldova
- NGO Labrys, Kyrgyzstan
- NGO Gaudeamus, Moldova
- AntiAIDS Association, Kyrgyzstan
- Resource Centre for Human Rights in Moldova "CReDO", Moldova
- Association ACCEPT, Romania
- Centre for Legal Resources, Romania
- Metropolitan Community Churches, USA
- Crisis Centre for Women, Kyrgyzstan
- Inclusive Foundation, Georgia
- NGO "We for Civil Equality", Armenia
- NGO "Gender and Development", Azerbaijan
- Ursari Roma Association, Romania
- NGO "LIGA", Ukraine
- Gay Forum, Ukraine
- Latvian Centre for Human Rights. Latvia
- NGO LBL, Denmark
- Institute for Peace and Democracy. Azerbaijan
- Gay Alliance, Ukraine
- SOVA Centre, Moscow, Russia
- Magenta Foundation, the Netherlands
- African Caribbean Leadership Council, London, UK
- "Never Again" Association, Poland
- AIDS Network, Moldova
- Youth Union Siin, Estonia
- Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI) Wien, Austria
- Lesben und Schwulenverband Osterreichs, Austria
- Croydon Area Gay Society, UK
- Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Ireland
- Helsinki Human Rights Committee for Serbia
- Women’s Initiative for Equality, Georgia
- NGO ADALI, Kazakhstan
- NGO "Tais +", Kyrgyzstan
- Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group, Georgia
- Donetsk Law Initiative, Ukraine
- All-Ukrainian Youth Organisation "Foundation of Regional Initiatives", Ukraine
- Youth Organisation "Bizim Qirim", Crimea, Ukraine
- TV Antena 1, Romania
- Alianta Nationala pentru Unitatea Romilor (National Roma Unity Alliance), Romania
- Association of Nordic LGBT Student Organisations (ANSO), Sweden
- The Federation of Swedish LGBT Student Organisations (SFG), Sweden
- Youth Group for Tolerance "ETHnICS", Russia
- Open Viewpoint Public Foundation, Kyrgyzstan
- NGO "Transformation", Sweden
- Gender Group of Gothenburg University, Sweden
- International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC), UK
- Union "Century 21", Georgia
- Canadian Arab Federation
- Kulturburo Sachsen (Cultural Office), Germany
- Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe (CEJI)
- Youth Against Intolerance and Discrimination, Georgia
- Netherlands Helsinki Committee
- Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights International (ALEGRI), UK
- LSVD, Germany
- Qendra per Emancipim Shoqeror (Center for Social Emancipation) QESh, Kosovo
- The Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan
- Democracy Monitor, Azerbaijan
- Malta Gay Rights Movement
- COC Haaglanden, the Netherlands
- Informational Medical-Psychological Centre Tanadgoma, Georgia
- ILGA Portugal
- International Gay and Lesbian Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO)
- YouAct, the Netherlands
- GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre Tratamentos do VIH/SIDA
Published on August 31, 2007 | OutRight Action International an LGBT human rights organization