Report of the Conference
people, governments, civil society, UN bodies and agencies, judiciaries, medical sector, religious leaders
and communities, the international human rights system, and others will be crucial in shaping the future.
Building stronger partnerships and capacity among the NHRIs in promoting and protecting the
human rights of the LGBTI community was identified as a central focus. Prioritising and enhancing the
effectiveness of NHRI efforts and increased engagement with community partners is essential. It was
also recognised that with rapid advances in technology and social media over the past 10 years, and
the future use of such technology by LGBTI individuals, advocates and organisations must be part of the
agenda today.
In order to effectively engage with the State, it is important to: know the State’s response to the
international human rights framework; form alliances with relevant stakeholders; strategise engagement;
translate the Principles into local language; involve the private sector; build and use political capital; form
alliances; injecting competitiveness among states; creating potential levers; linking to SDGs; drawing from
common humanity; build strong legal cases; intervene in courts; and maximise positive normative context
of the Principles through innovative interpretation.
Effective engagement with NHRIs should include: effectively exploiting the mediatory and interlocutory
role of NHRIs; educate the community and produce effective tools of engagement; identify LGTBI issues
within the community; democratise the understanding of SOGIESC issues and the Principles; more
education and awareness; use NHRIs legal powers to address discrimination and violence; recognise
intersectional issues; linkage between rights; mainstream SOGIESC issues in NHRI work; recognise the
right to narrate; produce better and useful data; form sub-regional groups of cooperation; use economic
and business case for LGBTI rights; use constructive engagement; optimise NHRI engagement in legal
issues; give full consideration to social and legal reality; and use multiple narratives of culture.
In engaging with is CSOs, the following were suggested: educating the community about LGBTI
rights; training young and passionate activists; developing creative promotional materials; creative
and contextualised translation of the Principles; engaging in legal reform process; engaging with the
international human rights system; building alliances; including SOGIESC rights in research; using
economic cost approach in LGBTI rights; and addressing the absence of intersex rights in the current
Principles.
Effective engagement with the UN system should include: recognise various entry points to the UN
system; UN agencies to develop further sensitivity of staff on LGBTI issues; develop broader attention
to gender identity issues; better integration and reflection of the Principles in work programmes; ICD
to be cognisant of intersex issues; identify accountability areas; enhancing engagement with CSOs;
stronger and visible role in advocating the Principles; programming using SDGs; and building a stronger
partnership and legal support around LGBTI issues.
Dialogues are necessary to encourage discourse on LGBTI rights and issues and seen as a catalyst to
acceptance and change. Dialogues should target faith and culture based organisation as well as religious
leaders. It is also important to decide on the terms and nature of engagement. Depending on the level of
acceptance of a particular religion or culture, discussion should focus on law and on rights and fuelled by
personal stories and experiences rather than provisions of scripture or doctrine.
The UN Statistical Division should develop a SOGIESC index, indicators and recognise inclusion of
LGBTI rights in SDG progress reports. Moreover, the UN should also make the SDGs more accessible
at the ground level for LGBTI advocacy. More efforts are still required in capacity building and training
in SOGIESC and supporting the Principles localisation efforts. International organisations must listen
to the grassroots and ensure that they receive adequate support to sustain the momentum of LGBTI
rights advocacy. It was suggested that multi-stakeholder working groups to be formed to follow up with
reference to the Yogyakarta Principles and human rights mechanisms.
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