Report of the Conference SESSION 2: KEYNOTE OPENING ADDRESS Keynote opening address Vitit Muntarbhorn, UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Moderator Charles Goddard, Editorial Director, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Asia Pacific Professor Emeritus Vitit Muntarbhorn, who was one of the co-chairs of the Yogyakarta conference, provided a very detailed background on the nature of the Yogyakarta Principles, and the thinking behind the development of the principles. The Principles were developed to articulate how existing human rights law applies to LGBT people and the specificities of their lived realities. Most importantly, the Principles offered clarity on the existing international law at the time. The Principles were not meant to be a constitutive document, but as an indicative document of the status of international law in the current time and context. They promise a different future where all people born free and equal in dignity and rights can fulfil that precious birthright. The Principles provided definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity, which are essential in recognising the nature of rights and their application in the context of sexual orientation and gender identity. By definition, sexual orientation is an inherent or enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people, while gender identity refers to one’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. The Yogyakarta Principles include a preamble, 29 principles along with specific recommendations and a list of additional recommendations. The Principles validate and reaffirm existing rights of individuals, especially in relation to non-discrimination and protection from violence, on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Principles also provide useful tools on the application of international human rights law in the context of SOGIESC. The Principles afford a systematic understanding of the nature of human rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and its impact can be both at the programmatic and catalytic level. The principles are also powerful tools for advocacy and in the development of jurisprudence. Over the 10 years since the adoption of the Yogyakarta Principles, there have been innumerable stories of both success and failure. While the happy stories of better recognition of the human rights of LGBT people in many parts of the world including significant court cases abound, there have also been unhappy stories of continued abduction, discrimination, torture and killing of individuals in some parts of the world. Continued longitudinal and multiplied series of violations of the human rights of LGBTI people are reported from many countries. In the face of continued violations of rights of LGBTI people in some societies, the struggle for equal rights and dignity need to be further strategised to address these changing realities. The intersectionality of the Principles is an important point of discussion. Intersectionality provides a more nuanced approach in capturing the multi-faceted experiences of oppression, discrimination and violence against LGBTI individuals. Therefore, in order to fully appreciate the lived experience of individuals, it is important to address these multiple dimensions and how they link to each other. An Intersectional lens must be used to understand how systemic injustice and social inequality occur on a multidimensional basis and how they affect the individuals in various situations and contexts. 11