Today, 26 August 2014, SA along with 24 other states voted in favour of the resolution. The resolution calls on the UN High Commissoner on Human Rights to update the report on violence based on SOGI and to report on good practice.
Mr President, on behalf of the Republic of South Africa, by H.E. Abdul Samad Minty, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations and other International Organisations at Geneva…I thank you.
Top UN human rights body condemns violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
Geneva, 26 September 2014
The United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on combatting violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (L.27/Rev.1), adopted today, Is a critically important achievement for upholding the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 25 human rights groups said today. The resolution follows a resolution adopted three years ago in June 2011, when the Council passed the first ever UN resolution on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Read more of ARC International’s statement
Please vote YES on the SOGI resolution
South Africa, 22 September 2014
As we celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa, we call on the South African government to vote YES at the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council on the SOGI Resolution. Violence and hatred towards LGBTI persons across the world is growing and this leads to many reports and unreported deaths. Often these attacks are carried out with impunity by political leaders, the police and civilians.
Voting YES for this resolution will assist the UN Human Rights Commissoner to report on violence on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. The resolution also calls upon the High Commissioner to report on good practice. Why would SA vote against reporting, when violence is such a major priority within SA? Why would SA be afraid of reporting on good practice when it is working towards, creating national human rights approaches towards violence and LGBTI rights. SA must remain a leading example on human rights and hold its mandate within this space.
Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to update the Report A/HRC/19/41 with a view to share existing good practices and ways to overcome violence and discrimination, to present it at the twenty-ninth session of the Human Rights Council, and to report thereon to the Council every two years. Read the full request.
SOGI resolution at UN HRC 27
Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to share existing good practices and ways to overcome violence and discrimination.