LGBTQ rights at the United Nations

On 17 June 2011, South Africa led a resolution at the UNHRC requesting that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) draft a report "documenting discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity" to follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

[6] The report, which came out in December 2011, documented human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including hate crimes, criminalization of homosexuality, and discrimination.

At this conference, Beverley Palesa Ditsie became the first openly lesbian person to address the United Nations regarding LGBT issues, calling for States to adopt resolutions that recognized sexual diversity.

Since 2008, the 34 member countries of the Organization of American States have unanimously approved a series of resolutions affirming that human rights protections extend to sexual orientation and gender identity.

[24][25] The statement includes a condemnation of violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity that undermine personal integrity and dignity.

[24] Voicing France's support for the draft declaration, Rama Yade asked: "How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?

"[24] UK-based activist Peter Tatchell said of the declaration:This was history in the making… Securing this statement at the UN is the result of an inspiring collective global effort by many LGBT and human rights organisations.

"[34] The United States, citing conflicts with US law,[21] originally opposed the adoption of the nonbinding measure, as did Russia, China, the Holy See, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

As of 2022[update], the UN LGBTI Core Group is co-chaired by Argentina and the Netherlands and includes Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, the European Union (as an observer), as well as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN executive agency) and two non-governmental organizations: Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International.

An event held on 10 December 2015 looked at The Economic Cost of LGBT Exclusion and offered fiscal effects from exclusionary practices from the World Bank who estimated it to be 5% of GDP and included the companion video released by the UN's Free & Equal campaign.

UNDP announced the launch of their LGBTI Inclusions Index, a global collection of data which they hope will help sway minds and move countries toward as extreme hunger or clean water supplies could be remedied if this 5% of GDP was reallocated.

For 17 May 2018, on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the UN LGBTI Core Group Special Event Celebrating our Allies opened with remarks by the UK Ambassador.

Tackling extreme violence does not require new norms.A resolution submitted by South Africa requesting a study on discrimination and sexual orientation (A/HRC/RES/17/19) passed, 23 to 19, with 3 abstentions, in the UNHRC on 17 June 2011.

[47] The resolution called on the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to draw up the first UN report "documenting discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity".

The High Commissioner's report, released December 2011, found that violence against LGBTQ+ persons remains common, and confirmed that "Seventy-six countries retain laws that are used to criminalize people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity" (para.

[50][51] Among other things, the resolution calls a report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on best practices for combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

[52][12] Accordingly, Vitit Muntarbhorn, a Thai international law professor experienced in UN fieldwork, was the first UN Independent Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE-SOGI).

[54] In March 2019, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted without a vote a resolution brought by South Africa on the rights of intersex people that "expresses concerns about existing discriminatory regulations, rules and practices that require some women and girl athletes to medically reduce their blood testosterone levels by undergoing unnecessary, humiliating and harmful medical procedures or hormone therapy in order to participate in women's events in competitive sports".

The resolution also requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights to prepare a report on the intersections between race and gender discrimination in sports.

It recognises the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that women and girls face in sports settings, because of their race and sex, and the right to bodily integrity and autonomy, among other things.

[55] In April 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted resolution with a broader scope, titled "Combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons.

[57] The resolution "Express[es] grave concern about the violence and harmful practices that persons with innate variations in sex characteristics, including children, face in all regions of the world, including medically unnecessary or deferrable interventions, which may be irreversible, with respect to sex characteristics, performed without the full, free and informed consent of the person, and in the case of children without complying with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

But so long as people face criminalisation, bias and violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics, we must redouble our efforts to end these violations.

"[63] Agencies and entities in the UN system have increasingly addressed human rights issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status in recent years.

[11] For example, in 2013 the ILO issued the results of a pilot research on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;[11] in 2014, UNDP released a discussion paper on transgender health and human rights; also that year, UNICEF published an issues paper on eliminating discrimination against children and parents based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity;[11] and since 2013 the OHCHR has dedicated ongoing efforts to produce a multipronged awareness-raising campaign, Free & Equal, relating to the human rights of LGBTI persons.

[11] In 2014, the OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO, the World Bank and UNAIDS issued a joint report providing a snapshot of the work of UN bodies in combating discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and related work in support of LGBTI communities around the world, together with a contact list of focal points in each UN entity and links and references to documents, reports and other materials that can be consulted for further information.

[11] In 2015, the ILO, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UN Women, WFP and WHO issued a joint statement calling on states to act urgently to end violence and discrimination against LGBTI adults, adolescents and children.