The UN has published an historic report on discrimination and violence against LGBTI people

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has released a report on “Discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.” The report, released on June 1, will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) later this month.

This report is the most recent step in a series of historic UN reports and resolutions on LGBT rights and recognizes the homo- and transphobic violence and discrimination that LGBT people face on a daily basis across the world. In addition, the report emphasizes that current human rights protections for LGBT people are inadequate and that “the overall picture remains one of continuing, pervasive, violent abuse, harassment and discrimination affecting LGBT and intersex persons in all regions.”

The report makes 20 recommendations to national governments, aimed at ensuring the human rights of LGBT citizens.

These recommendations include:

• Repealing laws that criminalize homosexual relations or restrict the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly of LGBT people;

• Implementing legislation that punishes hate crimes directed towards sexual minorities; • Legal recognition of same-sex relationships;

• Ensuring access to legal identity documents that correspond to a person’s gender-identity, without imposing abusive requirements; and

• Ending abusive therapies and treatments that LGBT people are often forced to undergo.

This report is the product of a 2014 HRC resolution, spearheaded by a number of South American countries. The resolution passed with support from countries around the world, indicating the growing acceptance of LGBT rights.

The report (A/HRC/29/23) is available on the website of the OHCHR: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session29/Pages/ListReports.aspx.