Michael van Gelderen TGEU/ARC training 22 September 2015 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – work on human rights and gender identity

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Human Rights Council, UPR 64 field presences 9 treaty bodies National institutions, civil society Norms, tools, recommendations, UN mainstreaming 75 experts

OHCHR – gender identity (and sexual orientation) Resolutions Develop norms Tools and recommendations Monitoring Advocacy Reports Promotion Technical Cooperation

« Free & Equal » -

What are the opportunities to engage with OHCHR and the UN on the rights of LGBTI persons? Actions  Advocacy  Promotion/Awareness raising  Monitoring and reporting  Capacity building  Technical cooperation  Support engagement with HR mechanisms  Support dialogue with civil society  Support exchanges of experiences with other countries Actors  Government  Line Ministries  Law enforcement  Parliament  Judiciary  National human rights institutions  Civil society  Media  Academia  Regional + International organizations incl. other UN  Other countries

Examples of specific actions relating to the human rights of trans persons  Reacting publically to attacks/killings as OHCHR (Turkey, El Salvador) and supporting communications by Special Procedures  Developing guidance on preventing forced sterilization with WHO and others  High Commissioner making statement to TGEU meeting specifically on rights of trans persons  Working together with trans organizations in developing Free & Equal at national level  Supporting engagement between trans organizations and national human rights institutions

Examples of specific actions relating to the human rights of trans persons  Supporting work on gender identity law in Chile  Making a clear call for States to respect the right to legal recognition of gender identity without any abusive conditions  Calling on States to specifically include gender identity as a protect characteristic in anti- discrimination, hate crime and hate speech legislation.  Calling for the review and repeal of laws that are used to criminalize trans persons

Q&A If you need more information: Michael van Gelderen, Issues/Discrimination /Pages/LGBT.aspx